Albert Breer's Biggest Storylines to Track as NFL Training Camps Get Underway
Aaron Donald: The Rams' legend is training as if he's going to play and has told people that if he thinks he can be himself on Sundays, he'll go through with what would be a borderline unprecedented return to the NFL. The bar for Donald to be himself is about as high as any player at his position in the sport's history. The Rams, for their part, haven't pushed. They've told him they'd love to have him. But they want the decision to be the 35-year-old Donald’s and Donald’s alone.
Patrick Mahomes: The Chiefs' three-time champion has torn his ACL and LCL on Dec. 14 and had his knee reconstruction the next day. He's been a constant in the Chiefs' building and has shown an ability to move and break the pocket in 7-on-7 drills. The Chiefs are going back to having quarterbacks and rookies report three days earlier than the rest of the team.
Running back market: The complications of the running back market. Both the Falcons' Bijan Robinson and the Lions' Jahmyr Gibbs have lived up to their lofty 2023 draft slots. The two combined for over 4,000 scrimmage yards last year. The last three big, market-topping running back deals were more market corrections than game-changers.
Cornerback market: There’s a similar situation brewing at corner, and Reggie Johnson is a pivotal name that you might not know. He is the agent to both the Seahawks’ Devon Witherspoon and the Patriots’ Christian Gonzalez, giving each of those guys a bit of a leg up in their negotiations with their teams.
Quarterback contracts: The quarterback contract drama. There are always some QB extensions signed in the summer, and this year’s not an exception, with Baker Mayfield’s situation standing as the headliner. The Buccaneers are prepared to dive in on negotiations this week, with the first day of practice set for a week from Wednesday.
2024 draft quarterbacks: The 2024 quarterback class heads into Year 3. Four of the record six quarterbacks to go in the first round two years ago already have playoff wins.
Vikings’ quarterback competition: Will the Vikings find a viable answer at quarterback? Minnesota brought in a new general manager this spring in Nolan Teasley, who’ll be charged with restocking the franchise’s pool of young talent.
Fernando Mendoza: Can Fernando Mendoza make a run at the Raiders job? The first pick in the draft got about six weeks of work in the spring as a ramp-up to camp, and that time was spent largely on fundamental work.
New head coaches: How will the Bills, Ravens and Steelers look under new leadership? Sean McDermott, John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin spent a collective 46 years leading those three franchises.
Cincinnati Bengals: And, finally, speaking of pressure, there’ll be some on the Bengals. Joe Burrow, once the rising star, will turn 30 in December. He and Tee Higgins are headed into Year 7 as NFL players, with Ja’Marr Chase going into Year 6.
