NFL TRAINING CAMPS GET UNDERWAY AS ROOKIES START REPORTING THIS WEEK
The short summer vacation is over for NFL players. It’s time to begin the journey to Super Bowl 59.
Coming off a disappointing finish in the AFC championship game, the Baltimore Ravens became the first team to open training camp when they welcomed rookies on Saturday. Nineteen more teams get underway this week and all 32 clubs will open doors by July 24.
Everyone is 0-0 but expectations aren’t the same. Some teams are legitimate contenders. A few are rebuilding.
Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are aiming to become the first team to three-peat since the 1965-67 Green Bay Packers won three consecutive NFL championships.
Eight teams have new head coaches. Several star quarterbacks changed teams.
Training camp dates
While 20 teams begin camp this week for rookies, most veterans don’t report until next week. Only the Ravens, Chiefs, Chicago Bears and Houston Texans will have their full teams in camp this week. The defending AFC South champion Texans are first to open doors to vets on Wednesday.
The Texans and Bears will kick off the exhibition season in the Hall of Fame game on Aug. 1 in Canton, Ohio.
The Chiefs will host the Ravens in a rematch of the AFC title game to start the regular season on Sept. 5.
New head coaches
Jim Harbaugh is back in the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers after leading Michigan to a national championship. Dan Quinn took over for the Washington Commanders, getting his second head coach opportunity. Raheem Morris also is a second-time head coach, taking the job with the Atlanta Falcons.
Dave Canales (Carolina Panthers), Mike Macdonald (Seattle Seahawks) and Brian Callahan (Tennessee Titans) are first-timers after successful stints as coordinators.
Antonio Pierce was promoted from interim coach in Las Vegas after leading the Raiders to a 5-4 record in the second half of last season.
Jerod Mayo has the biggest shoes to fill, replacing six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick with the New England Patriots.
Teams with new quarterbacks
Kirk Cousins joined the Falcons in one of the early surprises in free agency. Atlanta then pulled off a bigger shocker, selecting QB Michael Penix with the No. 8 pick in the draft after giving Cousins $100 million guaranteed.
Russell Wilson tries to revive his career in Pittsburgh where he’ll enter camp as the starter but the Steelers also acquired Justin Fields just in case.
The Bears drafted Caleb Williams at No. 1 overall and the Commanders took Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels second. Both are likely starting Week 1. The Patriots selected Drake Maye third, but he could start the season backing up veteran Jacoby Brissett.
Sam Darnold replaces Cousins in Minnesota only to keep the seat warm for rookie J.J. McCarthy.
Veteran Gardner Minshew will compete with second-year pro Aidan O’Connell for the starting spot in Las Vegas.
Rookie Bo Nix will battle Jarrett Stidham for the job in Denver. The Broncos also added Zach Wilson.
Top camp storylines
Keep an eye on potential holdouts.
Cowboys All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb missed mandatory minicamp and may not report to camp because he wants a new contract. Several of Lamb’s peers got paid this offseason and he’s next.
Justin Jefferson set the market for elite receivers, getting a four-year, $140 million contract extension that included $110 million in guaranteed money. A.J. Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith also received new deals.
The Cowboys could have salary cap issues. QB Dak Prescott enters the final season of a four-year, $160 million contract and star edge rusher Micah Parsons is due for a new deal soon.
Lamb isn’t the only receiver looking for more money. San Francisco’s Brandon Aiyuk and Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase are potential holdouts or hold-ins — those are players who show up to avoid fines but don’t practice.
Edge rusher Haason Reddick was traded from Philadelphia to the Jets because he wants a new contract. New York didn’t give him one so he didn’t report for offseason workouts.
The Dolphins and QB Tua Tagovailoa are talking about a new contract as he enters the season on the final year of his rookie deal. It’ll be interesting to see how Tagovailoa handles the preseason if negotiations stall.
His teammate, Tyreek Hill, has already stated he wants a revamped deal after losing his status as the highest-paid wideout.
Other camp storylines
Aaron Rodgers is returning to the New York Jets after his first season with the team lasted just four plays because of a torn Achilles tendon.
Rodgers, who skipped mandatory minicamp but attended OTAs, has been throwing since the end of last season and should be ready to go.
Cousins is also returning from a torn Achilles tendon. He participated in Atlanta’s offseason sessions and will navigate an odd situation with his future successor already on the team.
The NFL dramatically overhauled the kickoff rules so the preseason will be the first opportunity to see how teams will handle all the changes.
Roster cuts
Teams can carry a maximum of 90 players throughout training camp and for all of their preseason games. Rosters must be trimmed to 53 by 4 p.m. EDT on Aug. 27.
Camp hot spot
California will host six teams for training camp, including the three teams (Rams, Chargers, 49ers) that will play in the state. The Cowboys, Saints and Raiders also will hold camp in the Golden State.
REPORT: BROWNS AGREE TO 3-YEAR, $15.9M EXTENSION WITH K DUSTIN HOPKINS
The Cleveland Browns and kicker Dustin Hopkins agreed to a three-year, $15.9 million extension, according to multiple reports on Monday.
The deal puts Hopkins under contract with the Browns through the 2027 season. The $5.3 million average will tie Hopkins for fifth among kickers with Ka’imi Fairbairn of the Houston Texans.
In 2024, Hopkins’ base salary will be $2.875 in the final season of a three-year contract he signed in 2022.
Hopkins, 33, made 33 of 36 field-goal attempts for a career-best 91.7 percentage last season for the Browns. He finished with 123 points.
Hopkins made all eight of his field-goal attempts from 50 or more yards. Cleveland obtained Hopkins shortly before the start of the 2023 season from the Los Angeles Chargers for a 2025 seventh-round pick.
In nine NFL seasons, Hopkins has made 223 of 260 field-goal attempts (85.8 percent) and 245 of 260 extra points (94.2), scoring 914 points in 124 career games with Washington (2015-21), Los Angeles (2021-22) and Cleveland.
NO DEAL? BEARS NO. 1 PICK CALEB WILLIAMS UNSIGNED ON EVE OF TRAINING CAMP
Training camp begins Tuesday for Chicago Bears’ rookies, but No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams is trending toward an unexcused absence.
Williams is unsigned and operating without an agent. He asserted that his team of lawyers and the Bears’ brass are working out the terms of his first NFL contract, but the NFLPA confirmed clubs cannot negotiate directly with third parties, including attorneys.
Typically, contracts for first-round picks are hammered out using basic framework established under terms of the collective bargaining agreement but the boilerplate deals aren’t always without tension. Contracts for each of the past three No. 1 picks — Trevor Lawrence and Travon Walker of the Jaguars and Panthers quarterback Bryce Young — received fully guaranteed contracts.
Young signed a four-year, fully guaranteed $37.95 contract with Carolina last year.
Williams told the Chicago Tribune he’s not handling the contract talks with the Bears, but other reports indicate the former USC quarterback is the only person in contact with the front office.
“My lawyers and attorney and everybody, the head of the Bears, everybody up there up top is handling that. That’s not my position that I’m handling,” Williams said.
The NFL slotting system puts the No. 1 pick’s contract at $39.4 million over four years.
Rookies report Tuesday before veterans arrive on Friday and the first team workouts Saturday.
The Bears and Houston Texans are first into training camp as the chosen teams for the Pro Football Hall of Fame contest on Aug. 1.
Another Bears rookie, wide receiver Rome Odunze, the No. 9 overall pick, is also unsigned.
LSU LEANS ON DEPTH TO REPLACE HEISMAN WINNER, FIRST-ROUNDERS
LSU enters fall camp seeking replacements for Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels and a pair of his wide receivers, Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas, who all landed in the NFL as first-round picks in April.
But the focus for head coach Brian Kelly isn’t on the skill positions as the Tigers get back on the field after posting a 10-3 record (6-2 SEC) last season.
“Being the No. 1 offense in the country was not good enough,” Kelly said Monday at SEC Media Days in Dallas. “We need more balance. We’ve got to be able to complement each other. We’re going to have to be able to play better defense this year. You can’t have the No. 1 offense in the country and not play the kind of defense to get you to the next level.”
The Tigers were 82nd in total defense and 81st in points allowed at an average of 28 per game. LSU’s defensive staff was entirely replaced in the offseason. Kelly hired former LSU linebacker Blake Baker as defensive coordinator.
“It’s about players truly wanting to be part of those 11 guys,” Kelly said of Baker, who was previously Missouri’s defensive coordinator. “Blake’s ability to put that together has been evident.”
It won’t take long for the first measurement of the Tigers’ progress. LSU gets a massive test in the opener against Southern California in Las Vegas on Sept. 1.
Kelly said redshirt junior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier has to prove in games what he has shown in meetings and walkthroughs — that he has the qualities needed to become a great player. The first sign of his ability to translate traits into performance was in the ReliaQuest Bowl win over Wisconsin, his only career start in 18 games.
He threw for a career-high 395 yards with three touchdowns and completed 31 passes. Nussmeier has waited four seasons for the full-time role.
“His persistence, his patience, his leadership — we’re excited to watch him lead our team this year,” Kelly said.
Daniels was drafted No. 2 overall by the Washington Commanders, four spots ahead of Nabers (sixth overall, New York Giants).
Daniels completed 72.2 percent of his passes for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns and four interceptions. He also rushed for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging 8.4 yards per carry. Nabers had 89 catches for 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns in 13 games last season and Thomas (23rd, Jaguars) led the FBS with 17 TD catches in 2023.
Kelly said others are ready to fill those shoes.
“When we look at our football team in its totality, there will be a number of players we count on,” he said. “I think we start with Kyren Lacy. At the wide receiver position, I think there will be six to eight players who will get an opportunity to contribute and make an impact. That’s the one thing I like about that position. We’ve got depth.”
NICK SABAN ON ‘OTHER SIDE’ AS SEC MEDIA DAYS KICK OFF
Arguably the most recognizable face around college football was sent back to his room for his media credential prior to the start of SEC Media Days in Dallas on Monday.
Retired Alabama head coach Nick Saban, a member of ESPN’s broadcast team on-site for the start of the event, said he’s still adjusting to being on the “other side” before LSU coach Brian Kelly took the stage as the first coach in the interview hot seat.
“It’s a little different. I’ve never worn a credential in my life. I was always, for 17 years, able to get into SEC Media Days without a credential,” Saban, 72, said. “I had to go back to the room today to get my credential to get in. That’s one of the biggest changes I see — it’s not like it used to be.”
Saban said he understood why he was being asked for the press pass and described the official asking for his credential as “very polite.”
The seven-time national championship coach retired in January after 17 seasons at Alabama. The Crimson Tide hired Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer, who was 25-3 in two seasons with the Huskies.
DeBoer takes the podium on Wednesday morning in Dallas.
COMMISSIONER GREG SANKEY SAYS SEC NOT RECRUITING OTHER SCHOOLS
DALLAS — SEC commissioner Greg Sankey reiterated Monday that the league is focused on its 16 members and he is not recruiting any others, in his remarks to open SEC media days.
In the first media days with Texas and Oklahoma as SEC members, Sankey was asked multiple times about the future of the league, and how much he pays attention to the current lawsuits between Florida State, Clemson and the ACC.
Judges in Florida, South Carolina and North Carolina are currently hearing arguments in those cases. Florida State and Clemson have sued challenging the grant of rights; the ACC has sued those schools to defend the conference.
There has been rampant speculation that the SEC could be a landing spot for Florida State and Clemson if both schools leave the ACC.
Sankey said he is aware of what is happening in the ACC, but “We’re focused on our 16.”
“I’m not a recruiter. My job is to make sure we meet the standard of excellence that we have for ourselves on a daily basis,” Sankey said. “That attracts interest. It’s done that with the two universities that we have added this year. They’re not the only phone calls I’ve ever had, but I’m not involved in recruitment.
“Our presidents have been clear that I am not going to entangle us in litigation around expansion. So I pay attention, but I’m not engaged in those conversations. The broader implications, obviously if things change, then there’s a new level of uncertainty. It already creates speculation that I think is counterproductive, but I don’t spend an enormous amount of my time thinking about it. I certainly don’t spend any time engaged in that recruiting activity because we’re focused on our 16.”
In his opening statement to kick off SEC media days, Sankey noted that “Sixteen is our today, and 16 is our tomorrow.”
Asked later in his news conference whether tomorrow means staying at 16 for the long term, Sankey said, “Our focus is on our 16 members. I have a responsibility to pay attention, and I’m certainly not going to fuel speculation on what happens next. We can certainly remain at 16 for a long, long time and be incredibly successful.”
The SEC voted to add Texas and Oklahoma in 2021, setting off another wave of realignment in response. The Big Ten added USC and UCLA, and then Washington and Oregon as the Pac-12 splintered apart. The Big 12 now includes former Pac-12 members Arizona, Arizona State and Colorado and Utah, and the ACC added Stanford, Cal and SMU. The new configurations of all four conferences begin with the start of the 2024 season.
Sankey noted in his remarks that the SEC’s expansion, as opposed to the others, has mitigated its travel footprint.
“We know who we are,” Sankey said. “We’re the one conference at this level where the name still means something, the southeastern part of the United States, where when we expanded, we actually restored historic rivalries while adding only 100 miles to the longest campus-to-campus trip our student-athletes will experience.”
Asked whether there would be any feasibility to expanding outside the Southeast, Sankey said, “We’re focused on our 16, period. You’ve seen how we’ve made decisions over the last decade-plus for contiguous states to join. I think that’s incredibly wise and provides remarkable strength.
“I’m not going to guess about what happens next.”
FRESNO STATE’S TEDFORD STEPS DOWN BECAUSE OF HEALTH CONCERNS, SKIPPER IS NAMED INTERIM COACH
FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — Fresno State coach Jeff Tedford announced Monday he’s stepping down because of health concerns.
Tedford, 62, led the Bulldogs to a 44-22 record in five seasons, including two Mountain West Conference championships and four bowl victories. The Bulldogs finished in the AP Top 25 twice during his tenure.
“It is with sad emotions that following my recent medical checkup, it is clear that due to health concerns, my family and I have made the decision to step aside as Fresno State’s head coach and allow someone else to lead the football program,” Tedford said in a statement.
Fresno State assistant head coach and linebackers coach Tim Skipper will be interim head coach this season. He was acting head coach while Tedford was away from the team for health reasons for the New Mexico Bowl following the 2022 season, in which Fresno State beat New Mexico State 37-10.
Tedford was named an Eddie Robinson Award finalist and a Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award finalist in 2018 after the Bulldogs won a school-record 12 games. He has a 127-79 overall record in 11 total college seasons at California and Fresno State.
Tedford initially took the Fresno State job in 2017 and guided a 1-11 program to 10 or more wins in each of his first two seasons. He stepped away from coaching in 2019 while dealing with heart-related issues but returned to his alma mater after Kalen DeBoer left for Washington late in the 2021 season. His team won the 2022 Mountain West title and finished 10-4.
“Coach Tedford is a living legend,” Skipper said. ”He is definitely an innovator and trendsetter of the game. His impact on college football will be felt forever, and I feel very fortunate to be able to have coached on his staff these past two seasons. The knowledge I have gained is priceless.”
TEXAS LANDS 4-STAR ATH RECRUIT NICK TOWNSEND
Four-star recruit Nick Townsend, the No. 3 athlete prospect in the nation in 247Sports’ composite rankings for the Class of 2025, verbally committed to Texas on Monday.
Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian landed Townsend over finalists Alabama, Texas A&M, Southern California and Arizona State.
Townsend, a 6-foot-3, 235-pound tight end and defensive lineman, is rated the No. 114 recruit in the country and No. 21 in the state of Texas in the composite rankings.
He caught 18 passes for 431 yards and seven touchdowns in 10 games as a junior last season at Houston’s Dekaney High School. He also rushed six times for two TDs.
On defense, Townsend tallied 76 tackles with eight sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss as well as three fumble recoveries.
He could play tight end, linebacker or defensive end at Texas.