CINCINNATI, OHIO - NOVEMBER 02: Colston Loveland #84 of the Chicago Bears celebrates a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals in the game at Paycor Stadium on November 02, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland is entering his second season with the franchise and has momentum heading into this fall.
Loveland had a strong rookie season, totaling 58 receptions for 713 yards with six touchdowns. Loveland was particularly dangerous in the playoffs, including a massive performance over the Green Bay Packers in a 31-27 win in the wild card round. Loveland had eight receptions for 137 yards and was the first rookie tight end to have eight or more receptions and over 100 receiving yards in a playoff game in NFL history.
Loveland and Bears quarterback Caleb Williams developed a strong rapport in 2025, and the chemistry the duo exhibits has Williams believing Loveland can be the best at his position.
"He can become the best tight end in the league," Williams said on Wednesday. "But stats, and us going out there and proving it, is what it is going to take. And to be able to do that, we've got to put in work. We've got to build a connection, hang out inside and outside the building, have tough conversations or have open communication throughout the year and throughout camp. So, it's going to be exciting. It's going to be fun. He's a target to throw to."

#cincinnati #williams #tight

Even with 90 spots to work with, NFL rosters can feel the domino effect of summertime injuries.
That's certainly been the case for the Carolina Panthers, whose 2026 training camp has felt like a war of attrition. On top of the starters who were already sidelined going into workouts, including offensive tackles Ikem Ekwonu and Taylor Moton and defensive linemen Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown III, the team has now lost rookie wide receiver Chris Brazzell II and second-year outside linebacker Nic Scourton to season-ending knee injuries.
Head coach Dave Canales explained on Friday night, following Fan Fest, that those setbacks have held back the Panthers from adding a fourth quarterback—namely, Kyle Trask.
"Yeah, just general needs for our roster right now," stated Canales, who later mentioned the offensive line and tight end room as areas that are currently experiencing stress. "We just didn't really feel like we had the luxury. With a couple of positions, we have some guys down."
Trask, a second-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2021, was brought into Charlotte for a workout on Wednesday. The 28-year-old crossed paths with Canales back in 2023, when Canales served as Tampa Bay's offensive coordinator.

#trask

Taysom Hill may be done playing football for New Orleans, but his on-the-field performance and his off-the-field persona have earned him Sainthood among the Who Dats for years to come.
"He's the guy that a lot of our guys can look to as an example of growing in the NFL and finding roles and finding opportunities," said Saints coach Kellen Moore after Hill announced his nine-year run in New Orleans was over. "Everyone, for the last few years, has been chasing to find the next Taysom. But there really is just one Taysom."
That "one Taysom" was going to be Jim Harbaugh's Swiss army knife quarterback at Stanford prior to Hill's two-year church mission to Sydney, Australia. When the 49ers lured Harbaugh away, Hill redirected his post-mission plans to Provo.
BYU figured it had someone special, but it wasn't until Sept. 7, 2013, that the Cougars knew for sure. Facing No. 15 Texas and following a two-hour weather delay, Hill produced one of the single greatest performances in program history.
BYU quarterback Taysom Hill (4) runs away from Texas linebacker Steve Edmond (33) Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013, at LaVell Edwards stadium. BYU won 40-21. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

#taysom #texas #finding

Do the Kansas City Chiefs have enough talent on their roster to win the AFC West over the Denver Broncos in 2026?
In the passing game, Patrick Mahomes will be the Chiefs' biggest advantage over the Broncos for next season, especially if the former Texas Tech Red Raider returns to MVP form in 2026. The arrival of Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III in free agency will also give Kansas City an additional edge on offense.
During his outstanding 2025 campaign with the Seattle Seahawks, Walker gained 277 more yards than the Broncos' leading rusher.
Mahomes and Walker will team up with legendary tight end Travis Kelce to give the Chiefs a clear offensive advantage over Denver, which is expected to be led by star quarterback Bo Nix and newly acquired wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.
With two matchups between Kansas City and Denver on the horizon, fans should expect the Chiefs to fare better against the Broncos in 2026 than they did last season.

#Broncos

Ty Simpson has a long way to go before he'll be called upon by the Los Angeles Rams, only being in the early stages of his NFL career. On Friday, he took the field for just his fifth practice of training camp, and it sounds like it was his best yet.
The rookie quarterback is competing with Stetson Bennett to be the Rams' backup quarterback, a battle that Bennett is clearly leading so far. But if Simpson continues to progress and impress the coaching staff, he'll make things interesting behind Matthew Stafford.
According to Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times, Simpson had his best practice of camp, making "several impressive passes" throughout the day.
Sean McVay complimented Simpson's quicker release and command of the offense, getting in and out of the huddle more efficiently than he had been previously.
That's something that comes with time and experience, which Simpson will accumulate throughout camp and the season.

#practice

The San Francisco 49ers' reunion with Deebo Samuel pushed the team into historically unusual territory when it comes to roster age at the skill positions.
According to the ******* ociated Press' Josh Dubow, the 49ers could now start five non-quarterback skill position players age 30 or older in the same game: Mike Evans, Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and Kyle Juszczyk.
That would put San Francisco in exceedingly rare company. Per Dubow, only three teams in the Super Bowl era have started five skill position players 30 or older in a single game: the Buccaneers did it once in 2004 with Tim Brown, Charlie Garner, Mike Alstott, Joey Galloway and Ken Dilger, the Broncos did it once in 20023 with Mike Anderson, Ed McCaffrey, Rod Smith, Shannon Sharpe, Dwayne Carswell and Washington did it twice in 1992 with Gary Clark, Art Monk, Earnest Byner, Don Warren and Terry Orr.
The track record for those teams was mixed. The 2004 Buccaneers finished 5-11 and missed the playoffs, a steep decline from their Super Bowl ******* VII run two years earlier. The 2003 Broncos went 10-6 and made the playoffs for the first time since 2000, but were routed 41-10 by the Colts in the Wild Card round. Washington's 1992 club was the most successful of the three, going 9-7 and beating Minnesota in the Wild Card round before falling to the 49ers in the Divisional round.
San Francisco was already trending toward one of the NFL's oldest rosters heading into 2026 before the Samuel move, and adding a 30-year-old wideout to a group that includes 32-year-old Evans only reinforces that profile.

#mccaffrey

From an unbiased point of view, there really was no reason for Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford to have the best season of his career in 2025. The MVP winner was clearly the NFL's best quarterback and decision-maker, but he entered the season with a schedule that put him against the league's top defenses, while being 37 years old with a back issue that forced him to miss training camp and almost put him on injured reserve to start the season.
Despite those looming hurdles, Stafford was simply brilliant, leading the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns. A primary reason is the players around him. While star receivers Davante Adams and Puka Nacua continue to dominate headlines, the Rams' offensive line has quietly been one of the league's best, which comes as a surprise due to how it was ******* embled.
Recently, Stafford spoke on The Athletic Football Show about a variety of topics, with the quarterback praising his line's ability to pick up pressure, especially on blitzes.
"You can't do anything if you're not protected and you got to find ways to get those protections done," Stafford said. "There was a great play—a great job of communicating from our entire group up front—relaying a call out, getting a back out in Carolina.
"I hit Davante on my left on like an in-cut versus a crazy overload blitz that we did a great job using the cadence. We got it shown, we flipped over the whole [protection], slid the line, did the whole thing, and it takes everybody. You know, that's what you realize. You can't sit there and go, 'Man, Matthew, great throw.' I was like, 'Yeah, well, I was able to stand in there and throw it.'"

#great #quarterback #season #matthew

The SEC generally, and Georgia's schedule specifically is absolutely full of elite players. Along with the other preview series we're running here at Dawg Sports as fall practice looms, I thought it would be instructive to look at the ten best players the Red and Black will see this season. We begin with a Vandy defensive back who's going to have a lot on his shoulders this year.

Martel Hight, CB, Vanderbilt (vs. Vanderbilt, Oct. 3)
With Diego Pavia gone to the NFL, Vanderbilt's defense becomes the more proven side of the ball, and Hight is its anchor. In 2025 he led the SEC in interceptions among defensive players, finishing with four picks and 35 tackles despite Vanderbilt not placing any defenders on the All-SEC teams.
Hight has been a steady piece of the Vanderbilt secondary since his true freshman year, when he played in all 12 games and accounted for 38 tackles and an interception. As a sophomore he added 33 tackles, two interceptions, four passes defended, and a forced fumble, while also handling return duties. He was chosen to represent the program at SEC Media Days entering his senior season, a sign of the trust the staff has in his leadership as the Commodores transition to a new quarterback.
In 2025 the Commodore staff gave Hight a look at receiver, where he'd been a standout in high school. The move made sense with Diego Pavia at QB but question marks surrounding Vandy's receiving corps. Getting Hight, among the best athletes on the roster, more snaps to be explosiive made sense on paper.
On the field it was less of a winner. Hight was targeted just 11 times out of 55 offensive snaps, catching just 7 ***** and accounting for just 64 yards and no touchdowns. Hight played more than 10 offensive snaps in three of Vanderbilt's first four games, then never got that level of usage again. Just one throw went Hight's way after week four, as the staff seems to have realized his highest and best use is at corner.

#hight #vanderbilt #staff #pavia

WESTFIELD – CJ Allen was excited to get onto the field for his first NFL training camp. Perhaps too excited.
Thursday of last week, the rookie second-round pick – and the Colts' top selection from April's draft – was getting in his own solo conditioning work, as he had for so much of the past six weeks after Indianapolis broke from mandatory mini-camp June 11. Toward the end of his workout, he felt a slight twinge in his calf, but rather than calling it a day and heading to get treatment from the team training staff, the former All-American from Georgia got back up for another rep.
That overeagerness, he told reporters Friday, is likely what landed Allen on the physically unable to perform list to kickoff his first NFL training camp on Wednesday. Lucky for him, though, the team's presumed MIKE linebacker – in essence, the quarterback of the defense – was cleared to return to the field Friday morning and made his way straight into the first-team defense reps against Daniel Jones' offense.
"It definitely felt good walking out with my cleats on and being able to walk out on the blue carpet with my teammates, the linebackers. That was great," Allen told reporters after his first training camp practice Friday. "Getting out there with the team, running around, it just felt great to get back to doing football.
"Here, it's just about the little things, like, 'Are you in the right gap? Or are you on step off your gap?' Because these linemen in the league are so fast, so one step will ruin your whole play."

#allen #training #team

The New England Patriots wrapped up Day 6 of training camp practice on Friday with another impressive showing by the offense.
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye and company won the day through the air, even managing to finally push the ball downfield at points. It was an impressive showing when throwing into the teeth of one of the best secondary units in the NFL.
The ongoing training camp battles between star receiver A.J. Brown and cornerback Christian Gonzalez also continued to heat up on the field. In only two practices in pads, it's clear that the Patriots' offense has taken another step ahead of the 2026 season. Only time will tell how far that takes them.
Here were the eight standouts from Day 6:
It's crazy how quickly things can change. It was only a few days ago that people were worrying themselves over the shaky connection between A.J. Brown and Drake Maye.

#training

One down, 13 to go.
The football cleats were in the grass as Florida A&M began its 2026 preseason training camp practice on Friday, July 31.
It marked the first for new head coach Quinn Fordham Gray Sr., a former Rattler Hall of Fame quarterback hired last December from Albany State. He has 14 camp practices to evaluate his inaugural FAMU football team with the season kickoff less than a month away on Aug. 29, hosting NCAA Division II's Albany State.
The Orange and Green started training camp with 87 players, per the Southwestern Athletic Conference's media guide. They look to rebound from a 5-7 season in 2025, prior to Gray's hire.
And camp will be a major part of making that a reality.

#albany #training #season #quinn

New York Giants second-year edge rusher Abdul Carter is determined to claim the NFL's top individual defensive honor as soon as this season, as he expressed after Friday's training camp practice.
"I want to be Defensive Player of the Year, for sure," Carter told reporters.
Carter made an immediate impact as a rookie in 2025, finishing fifth in ****** ociated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year voting after recording 4.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and 23 quarterback hits. His speed and explosiveness as a pass rusher, combined with refining technique, pointed toward a potential breakout campaign ahead.
The Penn State product is expected to start at outside linebacker opposite Brian Burns next season, giving him a clear opportunity to compete for the AP Defensive Player of the Year award once the season begins.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants' Abdul Carter eyes 2026 Defensive Player of the Year honors

#player #rookie

Tua Tagovailoa spoke Friday about his desire to keep bringing good vibes to the Atlanta Falcons as he addressed reporters during a training camp news conference. Throughout the 10-plus-minute media session, he beamed a smile.
Tagovailoa appeared relaxed, despite the fact that he's in the midst of a quarterback competition with Michael Penix Jr. and regardless of his recent injury. But Tagovailoa referred to the adage of focusing on controlling what you can control and noted that he believes the Falcons are holding him out of full practices out of precaution early in training camp.
That back tightness occurred sometime last week, according to the former Miami Dolphins signal-caller, who said the problem stems from a "flare up."
Both Tagovailoa and Penix were limited participants in Friday's practice. Tagovailoa, a 28-year-old one-time Pro Bowler coming off a six-season run with the Dolphins, took part in individual drills with other quarterbacks and completed a half-speed walkthrough with the offense late in practice, per ESPN, which reported that Tagovailoa didn't go through 7-on-7 or 11-on-11 sessions. Penix, a 26-year-old third-year pro still working his way back to 100% from a partially torn ACL that required season-ending surgery last year — his fifth season-ending injury in the span of eight seasons between his college and NFL careers — was in for individual drills and 7-on-7s on Friday, according to ESPN.
"I feel good," Tagovailoa said. "It feels good to be out there with the guys, be able to get some reps out there a bit, get some 1-on-1 reps, still be able to throw it to the guys."

#penix #good #dolphins

If this year's Region 11 coaches poll showed anything, it's that Ridgeline is expected to do well once again this season. The defending 4A champions are coming off a dominant campaign with a 14-0 record and both the best offense and defense in the classification.
While Ridgeline lost most of its top producers from a year ago, including four-star Oklahoma commit Krew Jones who transferred to Orem, its returners and up-and-comers will likely keep the RiverHawks as the team to beat in 4A.
Quarterback Crew ***** will graduate from backup to starter this fall, and a new group of receivers will join him. Luckily for ***** , he'll have an experienced offensive line to keep him safe as Ridgeline returns four of its starters a year ago.
Defensively, the RiverHawks have just four returning starters. Ridgeline head coach Travis ***** is excited at the mix of returners and up-and-comers.
"I'm excited about this year's team," Travis ***** said. "We have a great mix of returning starters and players who have patiently waited their turn behind some great players from last year's team. They are a hungry group who worked extremely hard in the offseason, and I'm excited to watch that dedication pay off on the field on Friday nights."

#riverhawks

It's hard to believe David Bailey is only beginning his NFL career.
The New York Jets' second-round overall pick of the recent 2026 NFL Draft has generated so much buzz throughout the spring and summer that it almost feels as though he's been part of the roster for much longer.
Before the selection meeting, there was plenty of debate about whether New York should select Bailey or linebacker Arvell Reese. Early returns suggest the organization is pleased with its decision.
Bailey's performances have caught the attention of teammates on both sides of the ball. Praise has come from veterans and coaches, including veteran center Joe Tippmann, whose job is to keep pass rushers like Bailey away from the quarterback.
"He's quick. He can move. He's definitely a great player.." Those were Tippmann's words during a recent chat with the media. "From what I've seen from him, especially early on as a young guy, he's impressive."

#early #Jets

LATROBE – Day Three of Pittsburgh Steelers training camp was unlike any Steelers practice I've covered in terms of its layout. It was an incredibly light day for the Steelers that featured players in caps and bucket hats rather than helmets as the team ran a walkthrough for the entire two hour practice.
The plays were ran at 50-60 percent speed, and it was a very energetic, laid back environment. So, with that as a prerequisite, there frankly wasn't much to take away from Day Three, but Joey Bray and I will both share the few takeaways we had from Friday morning's practice.
Germie Bernard took the field with the First-Team during practice, working largely from the slot while DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman were on the outside. Roman Wilson took some reps on the outside with the second team. This was by design, as head coach Mike McCarthy said ahead of practice that he would be looking to give Wilson some outside reps as to not pigeon hole him at one spot. – Jarrett Bailey
Throughout practice, Aaron Rodgers was under center a lot. This is something that Rodgers had stressed in his pre-training camp presser on Tuesday. He wants to be under center more this season and it looks like McCarthy is going to grant his wish and give him those opportunities this season. – Joey Bray
Mike McCarthy spent the majority of practice with the third and fourth teams coaching up Will Howard and Drew Allar. Howard is the guy McCarthy has arguably talked up the most this offseason, while Allar is the hand picked developmental quarterback. It's refreshing to see a head coach so involved with the development of his young quarterbacks. If anything, it shows that McCarthy is looking toward the future and wants to get every opportunity he can at these young guys. It would be much better for the Steelers long term if one of the guys on the roster ends up being their future franchise guy, and McCarthy knows that. Howard has much more to prove over the next few weeks of camp and preseason compared to Allar, but getting that increased one-on-one time with their new head coach is crucial. – Joey Bray

#steelers

Ohio State is known for its long list of standout wide receivers, and this year's roster will have no shortage of talent. But there's a name that may not be at the top of the list of potential x-factors that could raise the Buckeyes' ceiling even more. According to ESPN, Ohio State freshman wide receiver Chris Henry is labeled as the key x-factor for the Buckeyes' success in 2026.
"Can Henry make an impact as a true freshman, alongside All-American Jeremiah Smith and veteran Brandon Inniss? At 6-foot-5, Henry has the tools to become a dangerous downfield and red zone weapon for quarterback Julian Sayin," ESPN's Jake Trotter wrote. "Defenses will be loading up to slow Smith, which figures to give Henry plenty of favorable opportunities to show he can be Ohio State's next great wide receiver."
Henry was a consensus five-star prospect in the 2026 class and enters his true freshman season as a pivotal part of the offense for Ohio State. While Smith and Innis will be one of the top 1-2 combos at wideout across the entire country, adding the skill and size that Henry brings to the field would be another addition to an already explosive offense.
Ohio State has always had two stars on the outside, but what has made its offense so dependable and effective year after year is the ability to have 3-4 wideouts consistently on the field and producing. Whether it was Smith, Emeka Egbuka, Innis and Carnell Tate or the years of Marvin Harrison Jr, Julian Fleming, Egbuka or the dating back to the early 2020's of Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson and Jaxon Smith-Njigba -- the talent level at wideout has made it nearly impossible for opposing defenses to slow down Ohio State's offense.
With the 2026 season right around the corner, though there's still a competition and other veterans in the room, Henry appears to be the guy that Ohio State is looking at to step up and be impactful from day one.

#freshman

We are through a week of Arizona Cardinals practices and the changes are… well good it seems.
Will it lead to wins in 2026? Who knows?
The Cardinals are banking on a first time head coach, a young defensive coordinator who has struggled, an offensive coordinator who doesn't have very much respect around the league and a veteran quarterback sitting at 20-45 in his career as a starter.
Yet, there are things to be excited about.
The offense has been open quite a bit in the passing game during practices:

#coordinator #week #changes #lead

Before Matthew Stafford became one of the NFL's most dangerous downfield passers with the Los Angeles Rams, his game underwent a pivotal evolution with the Detroit Lions under former offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell.
Earlier in his career with the Lions, Stafford told The Athletic's Robert Mays that Detroit's offensive schemes prioritized horizontal efficiency to protect the quarterback. But when Bevell arrived in 2019, he completely altered Stafford's mindset regarding sack avoidance.
"In the offenses before that, sack avoidance was a huge thing and being efficient and all that," Stafford explained. "And the way that we did that in that offense was get the ball out of your hand fast. Let's get it underneath, let's try to catch and run... And I think when I played in Bev's offense, sack avoidance was, 'Hey, if it's not there, check it down.' Those were the things that kept the sticks moving rather than just calling things underneath and then every once in a while giving an opportunity to throw."
Stafford's yards per passing attempt increased by almost two years between his 2018 season in Jim Bob Cooter's offense and the 2019 season with Bevell. And while Stafford only spent two seasons with Bevell before his 2021 trade to the Rams, he averaged 8.0 yards per attempt versus 7.1 in the previous 10 seasons. Stafford also averaged 9.4 intended air yards per attept under Bevell after averaging just 6.9 under Cooter.
Bevell encouraged Stafford to push the ball downfield aggressively on unexpected downs, leveraging his elite arm strength to manipulate deep zone coverages. Stafford recalled a pivotal moment during a matchup against the Raiders in Oakland that exemplified this shift.

#downfield #pivotal

The Minnesota Vikings quarterback competition is heating up, and no one is backing down on social media from defending who they think should win the job. Through it all, the coaching staff has remained steadfast in their execution of this quarterback competition, while some on the outside consider it already Kyler Murray's job to lose.
However, based on early notes from the first two days of training camp, it seems McCarthy is lacking some early explosiveness in his passing.
ESPN's Kevin Seifert shared his notes from practice on Thursday, July 30, and he hinted that McCarthy is being more conservative while Murray is pushing the ball down the field.
Seifert shared, "Perhaps the biggest takeaway Thursday from the competition between quarterbacks Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy is that Murray is more often pushing the ball downfield. He threw an accurate floater about 45 yards downfield to receiver Dontae Fleming, as well as a deep corner to receiver Justin Jefferson. He also missed tight end T.J. Hockenson down the right sideline."
Reports from others in camp are mixed, but the reports of Murray pushing the ball down the field are consistent. Some do have McCarthy ahead in the race, but it's just two days in, plenty of things and momentum will change. It will be interesting to see how they come out in a few days following their first break after three consecutive practice days.

#pushing #seifert

Tennessee State football practice is under way with a battle for the starting quarterback position between returning starter Byron McNair and two transfers − Daylin Lee from Winston-Salem State and Marcelis Tate from South Florida.
Second-year coach Reggie Barlow said no one is ahead of the others as the Tigers prepare for their season opener on Aug. 29 against Jackson State in the John Merritt Classic at Vanderbilt.
All three quarterbacks worked with the first unit at practice on July 31. Barlow said he hasn't ruled out giving freshman Justin Patton from McCalla, Alabama, a shot at the job if none of the older players take the reins.
"Daylin's experience speaks for itself; he had a real good command (at Winston-Salem State)," Barlow said. "Tate, for a young guy, he looks like an older guy, but he's only played one year. He's a good player. And, of course, we've got Byron, and then there's Justin (Patton), a freshman who's a good football player. He was here in the spring as an early enrollee."
It is a similar situation to what Barlow faced at TSU last year when three quarterbacks were locked in a battle for the starting ******* ignment among Jonathan Palmer, Caleb McCreary and McNair. Palmer earned the starting position at the start of the season before McNair unseated him in the third game. Palmer returned as the starter later in the season.

#palmer #year #winston

Potential of A.J. Brown-Drake Maye Connection on Full Display at Patriots' Practice originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
When the Patriots acquired A.J. Brown from the Eagles, they knew what they were getting: a superstar receiver who can take over games by himself to pair with quarterback Drake Maye. On Friday, the potential of that duo was on full display.
On Day 6 of the team's training camp, all indications were that Brown was the star of practice. The Boston Herald's Doug Kyed noted that Maye connected on all four of his attempts to Brown.
Two of those receptions came in the end zone. Brown snagged a perfect over-the-shoulder lob from Maye:
Brown also ran a sharp route and plucked the ball out of the air with one hand:

#nesn #practice

Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa spoke about the back issue that has limited him in practice this week for the first time on Friday.
Tagovailoa said at a press conference that he started feeling "just some tightness" in his back sometime last week and that led to the decision for him to sit out Wednesday's opening practice of training camp. Tagovailoa has done limited practice work the last couple of days and said that the current plan is to continue taking things slow because of where they are in the calendar.
"I think just right now, it's just a precaution thing early on in camp and then we'll work through that," Tagovailoa said. "I feel great right now. Like I said, it feels good to be out there with the guys, be able to throw, continue to hear the plays, get in the huddle with the guys. All of that."
Tagovailoa said this is the first time he's experienced the back issue and that he's done a lot of work in a pool with the training staff to relieve the tension he's been under.
As of now, there's no timetable for when Tagovailoa will move up to a full practice workload but there wasn't much sign of concern from him or head coach Kevin Stefanski about how long it will be until that time arrives.

#tagovailoa #limited

After a miraculous division-clinching win in the final moments of their Week 18 games against the Baltimore Ravens, the Pittsburgh Steelers will have a much different look to them in 2026. For the first time since 2007, they will have a new head coach at the helm in Pittsburgh's own Mike McCarthy. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has returned for his second season with the team for what he is certain will be his final season in the NFL.
Despite retaining many of the key pieces that led them to a 10-win season last year, FanDuel Sportsbook projects the Steelers to have their first losing season since 2003. Their win total has been placed at 7.5. Do you have faith in McCarthy and Rodgers to lead the Steelers past their win total? Here are the teams that stand in their way.
Week 1: vs Green Bay Packers – Thursday 8/13, 7 PM CBS/KDKA
Week 2:vs New York Jets – Friday 8/21, 7 PM CBS/KDKA
Week 3: @ Buffalo Bills – Thursday 8/27, 7 PM CBS/KDKA

#steelers

The New York Jets held another eventful training camp practice on Thursday. The biggest takeaway was the performance of rookie defensive end David Bailey.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft was consistently disruptive and in the backfield during Day 2.
Bailey recorded three would-be sacks at practice and added additional quarterback pressures throughout the practice, according to reporters in attendance. The former Texas Tech standout was described as completely unblockable. Starting guard Joe Tippmann admitted Bailey has been a total handful for offensive tackles Armand Membou and Olu Fashanu.
Thursday's session was the final Jets practice of training camp without pads. The mood and intensity will totally change this weekend when the Jets hold their first padded practice of camp. It finally starts to simulate real football, so it'll be worth monitoring Bailey's progress once preparation for the regular season officially begins.
The Jets drafted Bailey to help transform a pass rush that was totally ineffective by ranking 31st in the league last season. The athletic pass rusher has displayed dynamic first-step explosiveness at training camp so far. Iron sharpens iron, and both Fashanu and Membou have been tested by Bailey's athleticism.

#bailey #practice #iron

I never thought it would be so simple, but, I found a way. I found a way.
When Indianapolis Colts principal owner Carly Irsay-Gordon stood before the team early in training camp, her message wasn't complicated. Find a way.
The phrase couldn't escape her mind as she was speaking to the team. Find a way to make the roster. Find a way to make the play when it matters most. Find a way to fly through the turbulence, through adversity. Ultimately, the goal is to find a way back to the playoffs.
Three practices into training camp at Grand Park, that mantra continues to echo across thre practice field as players try to climb their way up the depth chart. For some veterans, finding a way means stepping into a larger role. For young players and rookies, it means simply proving they belong. Friday's practice featured prime examples of both.
Wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is looking to carve out a significant role after signing with Indianapolis in March. With the Colts trading away Michael Pittman Jr. this offseason, the veteran receiver has been presented with an opportunity to earn the third starting spot. On Friday, Westbrook-Ikhine spent extensive time working with both the first- and second-team offense and rewarded all three quarterbacks who looked in his direction.

#indianapolis #westbrook

The Chicago Bears were back for the third practice of training camp on Friday, which welcomed fans to Halas Hall for the first open workout of the summer.
The Bears put on a show for the fans on Day 3, which was dominated by the offense and featured several standout performances. Quarterback Caleb Williams is off to a hot start this training camp, and his connection continues to grow with his returning cast of weapons in Colston Loveland, Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III. There was also an interesting left tackle battle update, where for the first time this summer it wasn't Braxton Jones running with the first team. Meanwhile, the defense put up a bit of a fight during red zone drills, where Williams threw his first interception of camp.
Here's what we learned from the third practice of training camp:
The Bears offense has overwhelmingly dominated the first three practices of training camp, although the defense has had a few moments. On Friday, it was quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent putting on a show for fans leading Chicago's explosive passing attack that's remained mostly unstoppable. According to Chris Kwiecinski, "Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent stole the show. They were in command, deadly accurate and anticipated routes so well." Williams' connection with Colston Loveland and Rome Odunze thrived while Bagent developed a nice rapport with Jahdae Walker, per Michal Dwojak. Even after Williams threw his first interception of the summer to Jaylon Johnson during red zone work, he "regrouped and made positive plays after."
The Bears offense had another impressive showing, but their one flaw came during the first red zone period, which was dominated by the defense. According to Courtney Cronin, both Montez Sweat and Austin Booker had sacks on back-to-back plays. Williams was picked off by cornerback Jaylon Johnson during a 7-on-7 red-zone drill, but he was able to bounce back later. Mark Carman noted that there was "some sloppiness in the red zone" where "Caleb showed some frustration and leadership." But the offense closed things out on a strong note with a successful two-minute drill, where there was 1:37 left, two timeouts, on own 39 with game tied at 10-10, per Adam Jahns. They went sox plays before Williams connected with Loveland for a 14-yard touchdown. But the best part according to Jahns? "Williams and Bears offense overcame a sack halfway through the drill. Williams-Loveland connection came through."

#williams #camp #offense #zone

Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Leonard Williams was a second-team All-Pro honoree in 2025, but his status as a top five player at the position was not solidified in AP's positional rankings this year.
The ****** ociated Press released their interior defensive linemen rankings on this summer, with Williams being left out of the top five, though he received votes.
Williams had a strong season in 2025 where he registered seven sacks and 22 quarterback hits on the year. He helped the Seahawks win the Super Bowl at the end of the previous season.
The 32-year-old plays with the speed and ability to get through opposing teams' guards and centers with superb technique that distinguishes him from his peers in the league. He is primed to have a strong season once again with the Seahawks in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks star Leonard Williams left off AP preseason IDL rankings

#left

All offseason, there has been legitimate excitement about New York Jets wide receiver Adonai Mitchell. Now that training camp has arrived, Mitchell possesses an opportunity to prove the attention he's been receiving is warranted. He's being positioned to be the offense's WR2 opposite Garrett Wilson.
Jets general manager Darren Mougey recently spoke with reporters at training camp. Mougey expressed excitement over what Mitchell can be for this offense. The arrow continues pointing up for the ascending wideout.
"I'm excited to see Adonai's continued growth," Mougey responded to a question about Mitchell's potential. "He had a good offseason, a good OTAs. We expect to see that continued growth throughout training camp. I'm excited to watch him and that entire wideout room come together."
Mitchell must sustain this momentum to secure his positioning in the Jets' receiving pecking order. The team also drafted former Indiana wideout Omar Cooper Jr. with a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft. Tight end Kenyon Sadiq was another of Mougey's top-32 selections. There is competition for targets in Frank Reich's offense.
The Jets are pumped about what Mitchell's skill set can add to the offense. Starting quarterback Geno Smith is a gunslinger who will be looking to pepper his favorite targets with opportunities. Mitchell continues to take advantage of his opportunities at training camp.

#offseason

Clemson added another talented quarterback to its future on Thursday.
Four-star signal caller Trace Hawkins announced his commitment to the Tigers, choosing Clemson over LSU, Duke, Virginia Tech and Vanderbilt. The Calhoun, Georgia native gives Dabo Swinney and his staff another highly regarded passer to develop as they continue building for the future.
Hawkins has been a familiar face in Clemson over the past year. His first visit came during the 2024 season, and he returned several times in 2026, including trips for the Tigers' spring game, Elite Day and Swinney's high school camp. Those visits gave Clemson's staff multiple opportunities to evaluate the talented quarterback while allowing Hawkins to get a closer look at the program.
The 6-foot-1 passer is coming off a productive sophomore season at Calhoun High School, where he threw for 2,442 yards and 24 touchdowns with only three interceptions. He also added three rushing scores, showcasing his ability to make plays with both his arm and his legs. Recruiting services have already identified him as one of the top quarterbacks in the 2028 class, with both 247Sports and Rivals ranking him among the nation's top prospects.
Hawkins also becomes the first commitment in Clemson's 2028 recruiting class, giving the Tigers an early foundation as the staff looks to build around one of the nation's top young quarterbacks.

#staff