2024 NFL training camp news and live updates (2024)

NFL training camps kick off across the league this week. While rookies and veterans already have reported to camp for the Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans and Super Bowl LVIII champion Kansas City Chiefs, the rest of the league should be back on the field by the end of the week.

Otherwise, it's been an eventful week off the field: Dallas Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb is holding out from camp, San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk has requested a trade but is present at camp, Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford reworked his deal, Cleveland Browns WR Amari Cooper also restructured his deal and few others got paid like Minnesota Vikings OT Christian Darrisaw and Jaguars CB Tyson Campbell.

Stay tuned here for the latest news, updates, analysis and more from The Athletic's NFL beat writers as the preseason and regular season inches closer.

Required reading

• What should each NFL team be worried about entering camp?
• Full preseason schedule
• One big question for all 32 teams entering training camp
• NFL training camps 2024: Locations, reporting schedule for all 32 teams
• 10 leading NFL storylines as training camp season kicks off
• Offseason observations from all 32 NFL teams

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The Commanders remain a remarkably healthy bunch four practices into training camp. That right tackle Andrew Wylie sitting out team drills for parts of Friday's session and all of Sunday's with what what he called “tightness” sounded news alarms speaks to the otherwise minimal worries.

However, his absence did allow coaches to take a longer look at third-round pick Brandon Coleman with the first team. Coleman, like other rookies, may require an adjustment period into the regular season before the staff is comfortable using him especially with another rookie, Jayden Daniels, at quarterback.

What's interesting is that the presumed starters are not must-start tackles. Wylie improved in 2023 after a slow start, but was part of a unit that labored throughout last season. Cornelius Lucas, Washington’s swing tackle since 2020, is the leading candidate at left tackle. Going with the veterans is the logical and likely path. There is a world where the nearly 6-foot-5, 313 pound Coleman pushes his way into the lineup. The more work with the other starters increases the opportunity.

UDFA safety Tyler Owens returned to practice with a bang after resting on Friday by snagging an interception of a deflected pass thrown by Marcus Mariota. Washington pursued the Texas Tech alum aggressively as evidenced by the $245,000 guaranteed salary and $20,000 signing bonus.

The safety room is crowded with arguably six others ahead of Owens including holdovers Percy Butler and Jeremy Reaves, and fifth-round pick Dominique Hampton, but it's more than fair to include him on any roster sleeper list.

The same goes for cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly, who also has an interception Sunday. Claimed off waivers last season, Kelly jumped a Mariota pass for the turnover.

The top four corners – Benjamin St-Juste, Emmanuel Forbes, Mike Davis and second-round pick Mike Sainristil – are a work in progress. From there, the depth chart becomes more unsettled. Noah Igbinoghene may have the inside track for one spot after spending last season in Dallas with head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. Christian Holmes, Tarik Castro-Fields James Pierre and UDFA Chigozie Anusiem also present specific traits for defense and special teams that could be deciding factors.

Fans were at practice for the first time this training camp, meaning they witnessed rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels on the field with Washington for the first time.

Daniels took the first QB reps after Marcus Mariota did the first three days of camp. His first two attempts in 7-on-7s were off target. One was apparent miscommunication followed by an overthrow routes. His day improved from there. Daniels completed his next three passes, all underneath. Daniels sharper as practice continues. He later ripped a sideline throw to Brycen Tremayne and then in 11-on-11s he hit Terry McLaurin in stride up the seem with the receiver positioned for significant yards after the catch.

The training camp showing has been erratic in spots but the high-end plays with his arm and legs highlight the potential that the coaches and support staff, including Mariota, are helping him reach consistently. No starter has been named but the rookie is expected to hear his name called over his fellow Heisman Trophy winner.

"For Jayden, he's a young guy, but, we got to do it as a part of our group,"Mariota said. "We have to kind of create these scenarios and these experiences for him that way when he gets into the game, it's not something that's brand new. I think he's done a great job asking questions and we can also always just kind of keep bringing him along.”

The New England Patriots announced on Sunday that DT Christian Barmore has been diagnosed with blood clots. Barmore is a 2021 second-round pick out of Alabama, signing a $92 million extension with the Patriots in April.

• The Giants mixed and matched at center with starter John Michael Schmitz sidelined by a shoulder injury that coach Brian Daboll downplayed. Austin Schlottmann started practice as the first-team center, but right guard Jon Runyan shifted to center during a few periods. That’s likely just emergency preparation, but offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo has said Runyan’s flexibility to play center is an asset.
• When Runyan shifted to center, undrafted rookie Jake Kubas and Jalen Mayfield stepped in at right guard. Jimmy Morrissey also got some periods as the first-team center. Kubas also took some reps as the third-team center. Kubas is the undrafted free agent highest on the depth chart, as he has been the second-team left guard throughout camp.
• Tight end Theo Johnson’s first team rep after being activated from the PUP list was a catch on a seam route from Drew Lock. Lock has been inconsistent, but his arm talent is evident. The pass to Johnson was a missile and he changes his arm angles effortlessly to make throws around traffic.
• The Giants ran a few plays with wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson lined up at running back in the red zone. Robinson took a pitch on one play and then Daniel Jones faked a pitch to Robinson on the next play but had to throw the ball away due to pressure from outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux.
• Former Giants right tackle Kareem McKenzie had an extended conversation with Evan Neal on a side field during today’s practice. Neal remains on the PUP list and doesn’t look particularly close to returning. Daboll would only say Neal’s status as “day-to-day.”
• Cornerback Deonte Banks had a full workload after splitting reps with Tre Hawkins in the first three practices. Daboll indicated they were monitoring Banks’ workload, but he’ll continue to be built up.
• Linebacker Micah McFadden has also been ramping up from a hamstring injury he suffered in the spring. McFadden got more first-team reps on Sunday.
• The Giants deployed a dime package heavily on Sunday. Rookie cornerback Dru Phillips was the first-team slot corner with Isaiah Simmons playing in the box as a linebacker. Phillips had a great read to break up a wide receiver screen to Robinson. Nick McCloud, who had been the first-team slot corner all offseason, worked with the second-team defense on Sunday.
• Backup outside linebacker Tomon Fox sat out the second half of practice with a wrap on his left hamstring.

Giants quarterback Daniel Jones had an up-and-down practice on Sunday, as he continues to air it out.

Jones had a slow start, but a strong finish on another day where throwing the ball downfield was an emphasis. Early in practice, Jones was nearly intercepted by safety Dane Belton on an under-thrown deep pass across the field to Jalin Hyatt. It was similar to Jones’ under-thrown incompletion to Malik Nabers in Friday’s practice.

An incomplete pass in the fourth practice of camp isn’t cause for alarm. But what’s concerning about the under-thrown passes to Hyatt on Sunday and Nabers on Friday is they’re the type of misses that have plagued Jones throughout his career. One of the biggest knocks on Jones has been his ability to process, and on the Hyatt throw he held the ball for an extra beat rather than just letting it rip to the speedy receiver. By the time the pass got there, the window had closed.

Jones also under-threw Nabers twice on deep balls that were broken up by safety Jason Pinnock and cornerback Cor’Dale Flott. Those throws were more physical miscues, so they can be excused with the hope that Jones’ timing will get better as he continues to knock off rust in his return from a torn ACL. The good news is that Nabers continues to burn defensive backs with regularity. The bad news is that the Giants need Flott to step up as their No. 2 corner and he has been beat deep regularly.

Jones’ two best passes came late in practice. First, he laid out a perfect ball to Nabers, who beat Flott on a slot fade for an outstretched grab along the sideline. Nabers feasted on college corners with slot fades, so expect that to become a bigger part of the Giants’ offense. Later, Jones uncorked a deep bomb that Hyatt tracked down for a diving catch after beating rookie Dru Phillips in coverage.

Jones’ day-to-day performance shouldn’t be overanalyzed. He’s going to be the team’s starting quarterback this season, for better or worse. The camp evaluation is more about observing trends. His willingness to throw the deep ball in the past two practices is encouraging, even if the execution has been inconsistent. Throwing deep needs to be a big piece of this offense given the speed they have at wide receiver.

Chargers rookie WR Ladd McConkey and star QB Justin Herbert are rediscovering their connection with some big plays from Saturday's night training camp practice.

Read more from Los Angeles here.

Defensive lineman Eddie Goldman, a second round pick by Chicago in 2015, is making his third straight attempt at a comeback with the Atlanta Falcons this preseason. Goldman started 73 games for the Bears from 2015-2021, but hasn’t played the last two seasons.

In each of the last two preseasons, he told the Falcons he wanted to return only to leave before the second week of camp.

“It was pretty tough, but it was a lot of personal stuff going on. It was a lot of stuff, but I’m here now,” said Goldman, who declined to detail the reasons for his absence. “I am really thankful that they are (still interested). I’m thankful to be here for real.”

Goldman, who has 13 career sacks, has a solid chance to make the Falcons roster as the team looks to retool its defensive line.

Nick Caley says that when he saw young tight end Davis Allen properly execute a cross-sift he had the same feeling as watching his oldest daughter walk for the first time.

“BOP!” yelled Caley, slamming a fist into his open palm while speaking with The Athletic as the Los Angeles Rams opened training camp last week. The tight ends coach helped head coach Sean McVay install new (to this system) blocks for the tight ends last spring and summer, which was Allen’s rookie season. These and variations of these — also referred to as “blast”/blast kick-outs, move blocking — feature the tight end going in motion either before or right at the snap, moving across the formation and then diving upfield as a blocker in order to either create a new gap or open an old one for a running back without giving the block away to the defense pre-snap. These had been utilized relatively infrequently in the NFL lately, but especially gained popularity last fall.

Caley, 41, is now in his second season with the Rams after a long stint in New England. He also turned down an offer to become the Patriots’ offensive coordinator this spring, team and league sources said, in part because of the group of players he coaches in L.A.

Led by eight-year veteran Tyler Higbee, who will miss the first part of the 2024 season while recovering from knee surgery, the Rams’ tight ends room is a mix of youth and experience, organizational tenure and new faces. Higbee has spent his entire career in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, 25-year-old Colby Parkinson joined the Rams this spring as a free-agent signing after four years in Seattle. Allen, 23, was a fifth-round draft pick in 2023 who was thrust into the spotlight when injuries sidelined Higbee and 2023 trade-acquisition (from Miami) Hunter Long (25).

Even without Higbee on the field, Caley’s group isn’t just deeper this season — it is noticeably larger. Where Higbee (6-foot-6, 243 pounds) has some lankiness to his frame, Parkinson (6-foot-7, 265) and Allen (6-foot-6, 255) are built like Budweiser clydesdales.

“We (all) mesh very well,” said Allen, “we come from all different walks of life but I think we share an appreciation of wanting to be at our best. But we’re all pulling for each other — there’s no ‘Oh, he’s taking more reps and that bothers me.’ It’s more just like, ‘OK, we’re the tight ends. And whoever goes out there is representing the entire tight end room and coach Caley.”

Parkinson and Allen have taken on the lead share of snaps in Higbee’s absence. Long has mixed into the first- and second-team rotation, too. Because Parkinson and Allen especially seem to be emerging as impact players who can block and catch, something interesting may happen: McVay, the coach known as a catalyst for the increase of 11 personnel usage across the NFL since 2017, might need to field multiple tight ends more than he typically has in order to feature his best rotations of players.

Read more on the Rams’ tight ends here.

Seven-year NFL veteran quarterback Taylor Heinicke knows his professional career, at least in Atlanta, may be coming to an end. He knew it when the Falcons signed Kirk Cousins and then drafted Michael Penix Jr. this offseason.

“I kind of see the writing on the wall,” said Heinicke, who joined the Falcons before the 2023 season. “It’s nothing I haven’t been through before. My role I think is to help Kirk in any way I can and the same thing with Michael. I’ve accepted that, and I’m trying to be the best at that.”

Heinicke, who has started 29 games and made more than $15 million in his career, could retain a spot on the Falcons practice squad or as the emergency quarterback if Atlanta keeps three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster the way it did a year ago.

“The NFL stands for Not For Long, right?” he said Saturday after the Falcons finished an evening practice at a local high school near where Heinicke played his own high school football.

New York Giants rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers continues to stand out in training camp. Sunday's excellent over-the-shoulder grab, while getting two feet down in-bounds, was undoubtedly one of the best plays the No. 6 overall pick has made so far.

The Giants have made it clear so far in camp that he is going to be a focal point of their offense. Coach Brian Daboll has been finding creative ways to get him the ball in space; the coach even let the rookie call his own play during a hurry-up drill on Friday.

“His mentality is the mentality you need to have,” Daboll said Friday. “He’s humble, but he works extremely hard. We’ve moved him to a lot of places. I’d say for a young receiver, you often put (them) at one spot. So, it’s a credit to him and the amount of work he puts in.”

The handful of 49ers who had scheduled days off Friday returned to action Saturday. That included running back Christian McCaffrey, who bolted from a crowded line of scrimmage into the open field with one of his signature cuts early in the session.

Later, new 49ers linebacker De’Vondre Campbell kept up with McCaffrey in pass coverage down the sideline. Purdy delivered a perfect back-shoulder throw, but the running back couldn’t haul in what would’ve been a difficult catch thanks to Campbell’s blanket coverage.

Campbell, 31, was an All-Pro for the Green Bay Packers in 2021, but his play has regressed since. He allowed the highest passer rating into his coverage of any qualifying linebacker in the NFL last season. But Campbell’s ability to keep up with McCaffrey on Saturday might be a promising sign that he still has juice left in the tank.

The 49ers will likely need a replacement for linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who’s expected to miss at least the start of the season as he recovers from a torn Achilles.

Read more from 49ers camp here.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — For a few minutes Saturday, Travis Kelce just stood in place and remained silent. With his body and red jersey drenched in his sweat, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end wrapped a large white towel over his head.

Of course, Kelce was tired after one of the Chiefs’ most difficult practices of training camp: the second consecutive session in full pads, a day when players have to perform through plenty of soreness.

At 34, Kelce is the Chiefs’ longest-tenured member and their second-oldest player (long snapper James Winchester is just two months older). He knows he’s survived many practices similar to what he experienced Saturday under longtime coach Andy Reid.

“This is my sanctuary, baby; St. Joe, Year 12,” Kelce said with a smile about Chiefs training at Missouri Western State. “That means I’ve spent just about an entire year in my life up here in the dorms, man. Everybody may see that as pretty grueling, but I enjoy it, man. There’s something about this place that gets you ready every single year.

“I’m not going to lie. I got pretty excited as the time started counting down to get out here and get this thing rolling.”

Read more here.

When Anthony Richardson’s pass hit the grass, Indianapolis Colts cornerback Kenny Moore II turned to Josh Downs and simply shook his head. Indianapolis’ defensive leader had just gotten the best of the second-year receiver, who, for a split-second, looked like he’d beaten the Colts’ top corner on a deep ball down the left sideline.

But as the ball traveled through the air, Moore was able to make up the ground and force an incompletion. His subtle celebration afterward sent a message, as if to say, “Close, but not close enough.”

All Downs could do was smirk after that seven-on-seven rep during Saturday’s training camp practice, partly because he knew Moore was right, and partly because he knew he’d get another shot. The second time around, Downs capitalized. As Richardson uncorked a deep ball toward the right sideline in an 11-on-11 drill, Downs shook free of Moore and the rest of the defensive secondary to reel in a catch that drew an approving roar from the crowd at Grand Park.

“Kenny, he’s so smart,” Downs said. “He’s very quick, and he’s really strong for his size. … Going against him every day, it really helps me because he’s top-two, and really not two, top-one (slot cornerback) in the league. So, I feel like I got the best slot receiver job in the league because I’m going against the best every single day.”

Read more here.

A Jaylen Warren run and a George Pickens catch got the biggest reactions from the overflowing crowd at Saint Vincent College on Saturday afternoon, and understandably so. Warren and Pickens are two of the most critical components of the 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers.

But only in Pittsburgh can the free-agent punter get an ovation comparable to the stars.

The Steelers spent $9 million over three years on the first day of free agency in March on Cameron Johnston to fill a void that has been an issue for seemingly decades now.

Saturday, Johnston punted for the first time during training camp and didn’t disappoint, impressing in every area a punter needs to — hang time, directional punts, backed-up punts, punts inside the 20-yard line, boomers of 60-plus yards (with nearly five seconds of hang time) and Aussie Rules kicks that couldn’t be returned.

Read more from camp here.

Lamar Jackson returned to Ravens training camp with high energy after missing four of the team's first five practices with an illness this week.

Read more here.