7 big questions ahead of NFL training camp Football is hurtling back towards us. Training camp opens in the next couple of weeks for all 32 teams in the NFL, we’re less than a month from the Hall of Fame Game, and summer will be in the rearview mirror before we know it. Major questions are lingering around the league despite football almost being back, and we’ll only start to get answers when camp opens.
Let’s jump around the league to look at the biggest unknowns facing teams before we hit the first snaps of summer.
Who will get 1st team QB reps for the Browns?
In what promises to be the saddest quarterback battle of the summer, the Cleveland Browns are having an open contest between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders. It’s a little bit like going out to dinner with your ex that you broke up with over red flags, and the person you were set up with whom you’re not sure you really like.
We know there’s going to be an open contest for who gets the job under center, but it will be fascinating to see which way the coaching staff is leaning as training camp opens. Not only that, but there’s a massive wrinkle to the battle which is largely being overlooked, and that is the fact Sanders is on a cheap rookie contract, while Watson is on the most overblown and devalued contract in the league.
The truth is that Watson is going to need to be drastically better than Sanders to get the job, and that makes the battle in camp all the more intriguing.
Can A.J. Brown develop an immediate rapport with Drake Maye?
One of the biggest trades of the offseason finally got done, and the idea of giving Drake Maye the deep threat he’s so desperately needed is a fascinating proposition. That said, just because it looks good on paper doesn’t mean this is going to be a match made in heaven.
We saw last year that Brown isn’t afraid of piping up when he thinks something is being done incorrectly. It takes a strong quarterback to balance keeping a superstar receiver happy and executing on a game plan — which is something we haven’t seen Maye need to tackle yet. Their burgeoning relationship will determine if the Patriots can be a perennial Super Bowl threat, or if the trade ends up being subtraction by addition.
Will Kyler Murray become the next Sam Darnold?
The Vikings have been floundering at their quarterback position for years, but always seem to find a way to put things together. That ended in 2025 with the decision to part ways with Sam Darnold after a mega year and turn the keys over to J.J. McCarthy. It could wind up being one of the most infamous decisions in recent memory — unless Kyler Murray can step up and become the guy.
It’s easy to forget how good Murray was with protection and a system that worked for him. We’re only a few years removed from him throwing for over 3,700 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Since that point it’s been an unceremonious tumble, making this his last best shot to stick in the NFL as a starting quarterback.
Publicly the Vikes have said there will be a competition between Murray and McCarthy, but we all know there is no comparison between the two players if Murray gels with this system. Our first chance to see whether or not that works out will be in camp.
This might be a question we can’t answer until the season really begins, but the first step is seeing how this young team progresses under John Harbaugh. Landing Harbs was a mammoth get for the G-Men, and following the NFL Draft they boast one of the scariest pass rushes in the league, if they can put it all together.
The Giants open their training camp in West Virginia with an eye on bonding and team building. That will be a crucial first step to see if these players can buy into the Harbaugh philosophy, and whether or not that translates on the field. If this all comes together then the Giants could be legitimate NFC East contenders, if not — well, it’ll be another disappointing season.
How quickly will Fernando Mendoza get the keys?
The Raiders are taking a cautious approach with the No. 1 overall pick to make sure he doesn’t have too much thrown at him at once. This means he will likely be splitting reps with Kirk Cousins at No. 1 in camp, with the ultimate plan to have Cousins start the season for the Raiders.
Still, how quickly Mendoza digests the playbook and integrates with his teammates will tell the story of how early we could see him this season. It’s unlikely the Raiders do anything but make some incremental improvement, because there’s a lot of work to do — but Vegas is also desperate to see some wins from this team, while also seeing their No. 1 pick take the field.
Are the Bears as good as advertised?
The Chicago Bears took a mammoth step under Ben Johnson in year one of the coach’s tenure, but the tough work starts now: Living up to expectations. There’s a firm belief that the Bears should be seriously contending in the NFC, and a sweetheart pick to win the NFC North — but it’s also one of football’s most brutal divisions.
Chicago will face a much tougher schedule in 2026, and how Caleb Williams rises to the occasion will set the tone for this entire organization. We know he has the athletic talent, but we’ve yet to really see how he can address going through the paces in a season where the Bears are expected to win a majority of their games.
Can the Chargers’ odd couple offense work?
We know what Jim Harbaugh likes when it comes to offense: He wants a no-nonsense running game, controlling the point of attack, and punctuating things with play action passes to generate chunk plays. It’s for this reason that the decision to hire Mike McDaniel to lead the offense was so fascinating/
McDaniel is an offensive genius, but he’s also all about some nonsense. An analytical disruptor, McDaniel’s philosophies on how to attack the field differ wildly from Harbaugh’s old school approach. In order to make this work the Chargers are going to need McDaniel to tone down his creativity a hair, while Harbaugh will need to put his trust in his OC. That could really work together, or everything could explode.
#big #questions #ahead #NFL #training #camp
Football is hurtling back towards us. Training camp opens in the next couple of weeks for all 32 teams in the NFL, we’re less than a month from the Hall of Fame Game, and summer will be in the rearview mirror before we know it. Major questions are lingering around the league despite football almost being back, and we’ll only start to get answers when camp opens.
Let’s jump around the league to look at the biggest unknowns facing teams before we hit the first snaps of summer.
Who will get 1st team QB reps for the Browns?
In what promises to be the saddest quarterback battle of the summer, the Cleveland Browns are having an open contest between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders. It’s a little bit like going out to dinner with your ex that you broke up with over red flags, and the person you were set up with whom you’re not sure you really like.
We know there’s going to be an open contest for who gets the job under center, but it will be fascinating to see which way the coaching staff is leaning as training camp opens. Not only that, but there’s a massive wrinkle to the battle which is largely being overlooked, and that is the fact Sanders is on a cheap rookie contract, while Watson is on the most overblown and devalued contract in the league.
The truth is that Watson is going to need to be drastically better than Sanders to get the job, and that makes the battle in camp all the more intriguing.
Can A.J. Brown develop an immediate rapport with Drake Maye?
One of the biggest trades of the offseason finally got done, and the idea of giving Drake Maye the deep threat he’s so desperately needed is a fascinating proposition. That said, just because it looks good on paper doesn’t mean this is going to be a match made in heaven.
We saw last year that Brown isn’t afraid of piping up when he thinks something is being done incorrectly. It takes a strong quarterback to balance keeping a superstar receiver happy and executing on a game plan — which is something we haven’t seen Maye need to tackle yet. Their burgeoning relationship will determine if the Patriots can be a perennial Super Bowl threat, or if the trade ends up being subtraction by addition.
Will Kyler Murray become the next Sam Darnold?
The Vikings have been floundering at their quarterback position for years, but always seem to find a way to put things together. That ended in 2025 with the decision to part ways with Sam Darnold after a mega year and turn the keys over to J.J. McCarthy. It could wind up being one of the most infamous decisions in recent memory — unless Kyler Murray can step up and become the guy.
It’s easy to forget how good Murray was with protection and a system that worked for him. We’re only a few years removed from him throwing for over 3,700 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Since that point it’s been an unceremonious tumble, making this his last best shot to stick in the NFL as a starting quarterback.
Publicly the Vikes have said there will be a competition between Murray and McCarthy, but we all know there is no comparison between the two players if Murray gels with this system. Our first chance to see whether or not that works out will be in camp.
This might be a question we can’t answer until the season really begins, but the first step is seeing how this young team progresses under John Harbaugh. Landing Harbs was a mammoth get for the G-Men, and following the NFL Draft they boast one of the scariest pass rushes in the league, if they can put it all together.
The Giants open their training camp in West Virginia with an eye on bonding and team building. That will be a crucial first step to see if these players can buy into the Harbaugh philosophy, and whether or not that translates on the field. If this all comes together then the Giants could be legitimate NFC East contenders, if not — well, it’ll be another disappointing season.
How quickly will Fernando Mendoza get the keys?
The Raiders are taking a cautious approach with the No. 1 overall pick to make sure he doesn’t have too much thrown at him at once. This means he will likely be splitting reps with Kirk Cousins at No. 1 in camp, with the ultimate plan to have Cousins start the season for the Raiders.
Still, how quickly Mendoza digests the playbook and integrates with his teammates will tell the story of how early we could see him this season. It’s unlikely the Raiders do anything but make some incremental improvement, because there’s a lot of work to do — but Vegas is also desperate to see some wins from this team, while also seeing their No. 1 pick take the field.
Are the Bears as good as advertised?
The Chicago Bears took a mammoth step under Ben Johnson in year one of the coach’s tenure, but the tough work starts now: Living up to expectations. There’s a firm belief that the Bears should be seriously contending in the NFC, and a sweetheart pick to win the NFC North — but it’s also one of football’s most brutal divisions.
Chicago will face a much tougher schedule in 2026, and how Caleb Williams rises to the occasion will set the tone for this entire organization. We know he has the athletic talent, but we’ve yet to really see how he can address going through the paces in a season where the Bears are expected to win a majority of their games.
Can the Chargers’ odd couple offense work?
We know what Jim Harbaugh likes when it comes to offense: He wants a no-nonsense running game, controlling the point of attack, and punctuating things with play action passes to generate chunk plays. It’s for this reason that the decision to hire Mike McDaniel to lead the offense was so fascinating/
McDaniel is an offensive genius, but he’s also all about some nonsense. An analytical disruptor, McDaniel’s philosophies on how to attack the field differ wildly from Harbaugh’s old school approach. In order to make this work the Chargers are going to need McDaniel to tone down his creativity a hair, while Harbaugh will need to put his trust in his OC. That could really work together, or everything could explode.
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