NFL training camp 2026 storylines surround Seahawks name coverage, fashionable coaches and QB battles

The Athletic has stay coverage of NFL training camp.

At lengthy ultimate, training camp season has arrived.

The Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers kicked off the motion ultimate week as a result of they’ll face each and every and each and every diversified within the Hall of Reputation Sport. In the meantime, the overall 30 groups will possess all opened camp via the middle of this week. Day by day, week via week, the march against the in fashion season will spread at a mercurial pace.

From head teaching debuts to trendy arrivals, to comeback quests, negate battles and extra, the storylines abound throughout the league. Listed below are 10 to seem at as training camps collect underway.

Seahawks name coverage

13 years up to now, the Seattle Seahawks followed up the primary Trim Bowl victory in franchise historical past with a march that noticed them go back to the mountainous game superb to tumble painfully timid of a repeat victory. Champs however once more, the Seahawks embark on a jog they hope will result in 1 different Trim Bowl urge.

Repeats are uncommon. Most effective 8 groups possess carried out this type of feat. To provide themselves a big gamble, Mike Macdonald and his organization possess a number of demanding situations to overcome. Lengthy long past is offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. In his negate: first-year play caller Brian Fleury (prior to now the San Francisco 49ers’ tight ends trainer). Additionally departed: key veterans paying homage to Trim Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III (Kansas City Chiefs), cornerback Riq Woolen (Philadelphia Eagles), cross rusher Boye Mafe (Cincinnati Bengals), protection Coby Bryant (Chicago Bears). This week, the Seahawks will proceed the paintings of filling the footwear left within the abet of.

Sky-excessive SoFi expectancies

5 seasons up to now, the Los Angeles Rams changed into superb the second one organization in NFL historical past to obtain a Trim Bowl of their residing stadium. This February, the Rams hope to copy that accomplishment as SoFi Stadium however once more hosts the Trim Bowl. Rams overall supervisor Les Snead had a hectic offseason, purchasing and promoting for the NFL’s single-season sack chief, Myles Garrett. That blockbuster circulate got here after Snead traded for All-Professional cornerback Trent McDuffie and additional overhauled his secondary via signing cornerback Jaylen Watson, who, esteem McDuffie, helped the Chiefs procure two Trim Bowls.

Trainer Sean McVay already has a potent offense led via quarterback Matthew Stafford, huge receivers Davante Adams and Puka Nacua and working backs Kyren Williams and Blake Corum. Now, they determine to own one in all the extra dominant defenses within the league. The Rams will paintings to position all of it jointly, and as they reach, eyes stay peeled for Aaron Donald, who reportedly is bearing in ideas coming out of retirement to create one different urge on the Lombardi Trophy.

Training debuts

This offseason noticed 10 groups rent fashionable head coaches. Those coaches — Mike LaFleur (Cardinals), Kevin Stefanski (Atlanta Falcons), Jesse Minter (Baltimore Ravens), Joe Brady (Buffalo Bills), Todd Monken (Cleveland Browns), Klint Kubiak (Las Vegas Raiders), Jeff Hafley (Miami Dolphins), John Harbaugh (Atypical York Giants), Mike McCarthy (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Robert Saleh (Tennessee Titans) — all started working within the offseason while directing voluntary exercises and maximum substantial minicamps. Nevertheless now, they truly will dive into construction, setting up and assessing talents and making able their groups for the hole of the season, which looms right kind 5 weeks away.

Familiar faces in fashionable spaces

The offseason featured masses of comings and goings, and OTAs and minicamps served as an introductory period for one of the crucial substantial greatest names that modified addresses. Nevertheless now it will get authentic for the reason that extraordinarily coveted stars originate making their presence felt round their fashionable teammates. Some foremost stars came upon themselves at the circulate, and in order that they invent to their fashionable groups bizarre ability units and lofty expectancies.

With the Atypical England Patriots, huge receiver A.J. Brown hopes a modern release and reunion with Mike Vrabel translate into extra bountiful playmaking alternatives than he were given in Philadelphia, and the Patriots hope the wideout’s presence translates into extra construction for Drake Maye and explosiveness for his or her offense.

The Denver Broncos hope huge receiver Jaylen Chase — were given from Miami — will possess a equivalent affect for Bo Nix and their offense. In Baltimore, the Ravens hope their funding in Trey Hendrickson is helping their coverage grab a jump ahead.

Down in Miami, Malik Willis targets to jump from promising backup to franchise quarterback after his departure from the Green Bay Packers. And in San Francisco, Mike Evans will paintings to further immerse himself within the 49ers offense after 12 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the place he recorded 11 1,000-yard campaigns and earned Professional Bowl honors six cases.

Comeback quests

A number of groups hope training camp brings with it the wholesome returns of a few in their largest stars. In Kansas City, Patrick Mahomes has had a cushy recovery from surgical remedy to fix the torn ACL and LCL in his left knee, and trainer Andy Reid prompt newshounds Friday that he’s been cleared to participate in training camp. In Indianapolis, the Colts hope Daniel Jones can salvage the place he left off faster than a ruptured Achilles tendon ended his 2025 revival promoting marketing campaign. Jones, who re-signed with the crowd this offseason, is expected to be able to go Week 1.

The Washington Commanders’ 2025 hopes of returning to the NFC Championship Sport crumbled as substantial particular person quarterback Jayden Daniels landed at the injured tick list. Daniels is now completely wholesome and primed to impart a contemporary offense underneath first-year play caller David Blough. The 49ers persevered an damage-plagued 2025 promoting marketing campaign, and defensive discontinue Chop Bosa (ACL) and linebacker Fred Warner (dislocated and fractured ankle) ranked a number of the many greatest losses. San Francisco anticipates having each substantial particular person defenders abet at the space for Week 1, however.

In Atypical York, the Giants face some uncertainty via gadget of substantial particular person huge receiver Malik Nabers, who tore his ACL in Week 4, had surgical remedy a month later and this spring had to possess one different diagram. Trainer John Harbaugh has declined to create predictions on Nabers’ go back, however he gained’t release camp at the physically not able to invent tick list, an encouraging sign. And rely the Packers amongst groups able anxiously for exact information about their getting better substantial particular person. Linebacker Micah Parsons tore an ACL and meniscus in Week 15 and continues his recovery, however is expected to release camp at the PUP tick list. Parsons will use camp persevering together with his rehab in hopes of returning at some point halfway all the way through the season.

QB battles

5 NFL groups stop conscious for quarterback competitions far and wide training camp. The Cardinals, Falcons, Browns, Raiders and Minnesota Vikings all possess some testing to score on the greatest negate at the space. In Arizona, Jacoby Brissett, who began 11 video video games ultimate season, faces pageant from journeyman Gardner Minshew and rookie Carson Beck. Brissett neglected most of the offseason program while conserving out for a contemporary contract. That enabled Minshew and Beck to amass extra reps than they each so ceaselessly would. Now, with Brissett agreeing Sunday to a restructured contract, LaFleur will have to specialize in between the 3, regardless that Brissett wants to be judicious the heavy favourite.

In Atlanta, fashionable head trainer Kevin Stefanski inherits 2024 first-spherical select Michael Penix Jr., who’s coming off a torn ACL suffered in Week 11 and returns to stand a challenger in Tua Tagovailoa, who signed with the Falcons in unfastened corporate following his release in Miami. The pair of left-handed quarterbacks are expected to duke it out for the period of camp and the preseason.

Cleveland head trainer Todd Monken moreover inherited a gaggle with an unsettled quarterback problem. Shedeur Sanders began the overall seven video video games of ultimate season, however stale Deshaun Watson has returned from the Achilles tendon creep that value him all your 2025 season. Watson and Sanders are expected to atomize up snaps in camp after doing so for a ways of OTAs.

The Raiders spent the primary select of the draft on Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, however they moreover signed stale Kirk Cousins in unfastened corporate. Crew officers would will have to release Cousins to provide the money for Mendoza enough time to broaden. Nevertheless, the rookie will reach all of the items possible to switch their minds as he receives a handful of first-group reps at various sides of camp. And a yr after turning the crowd over to J.J. McCarthy, the Vikings now face uncertainty at quarterback. Trainer Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings persevered a irritating 2025 as McCarthy battled inconsistencies, and this offseason the crowd signed Kyler Murray following his release from the Cardinals. The two atomize up time in OTAs and may merely reach so however once more in training camp and the preseason until a call is made.

Early impressions

While Mendoza may merely need to again for his beginning up alternative, a lot of his draft classmates possess another to create strong early impressions. Cardinals rookie working abet Jeremiyah Savor may create his presence felt early as LaFleur tries to scheme a strong urge game to red meat up his shaky quarterback room. Eagles huge receiver Makai Lemon has another to assist Philadelphia fast circulate on from A.J. Brown. In the meantime, defensive standouts paying homage to Sonny Types in Washington, Rueben Bain Jr. in Tampa Bay and cross rusher David Bailey with the Atypical York Jets possess another to fast affect their gadgets.

Aaron Rodgers-Mike McCarthy reunion

The Steelers possess a contemporary trainer after 19 seasons underneath Mike Tomlin. In his negate: Mike McCarthy, who gained a Trim Bowl in Green Bay in 2010 and maximum lately spent 5 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. McCarthy’s quarterback in Green Bay, after all, changed into once Aaron Rodgers. The longer term Hall of Reputation passer pondered retirement, however made up our minds to induce it abet however all over again in Pittsburgh and reunite together with his ragged trainer in hopes of having one ultimate shot at Trim Bowl glory.

McCarthy will have to decide how you can ignite an offense that ranked twenty fourth in yards and fifteenth in sides ultimate season and most simple negate Rodgers for luck. Step No. 1 comes to conserving a wholesome courting with the quarterback. The two persevered some rocky and friction-stuffed cases slow in McCarthy’s tenure with the Packers. Nevertheless, Rodgers stated previous this summer time that “time all the time at the entire is a large healer,” and that he has a good larger appreciation for McCarthy now than he did in Green Bay. That’s a exact factor, however those sentiments arrive successfully faster than the tensions of an NFL in fashion season. Can Rodgers and McCarthy withhold a unique vision and cohesion within the face of adversity?

Coaches underneath pressure

The primary in trend-season game will not grab negate for one different 5 weeks, however a handful of coaches input training camp already underneath a exact deal of pressure. Because of shaky 2025 campaigns, those men will have to impart strong training camps to assist be particular they collect off to strong starts this season. A capability to score so can assist aquire them a while as uneasy and impatient homeowners watch from above.

With the Jets, Aaron Glenn overhauled his teaching employees in hopes of sparking a rebound from his 3-14 rookie promoting marketing campaign that noticed very minute path ethical on both side of the ball. In Cincinnati, Zac Taylor and the Bengals possess neglected the playoffs 3 immediately years. Harm to Joe Burrow factored in ultimate yr’s 6-11 promoting marketing campaign, however so too did large struggles on coverage. The Bengals front office invested closely in that coverage this offseason, so the Bengals will have to level-headed red meat up, however in the event that they stumble out of the gates, Taylor may arrive underneath scrutiny.

Washington trainer Dan Quinn made a right away affect in 2024, taking a double-digit loss organization to the NFC name game. Nevertheless Washington regressed mightily on both side of the ball ultimate season while dealing with harm, age and unsatisfied execution. Quinn introduced in fashionable coordinators on offense and coverage and hopes those moves result in a rebound.

Tampa Bay trainer Todd Bowles noticed his organization’s urge of 4 immediately NFC South titles and 5 consecutive playoff appearances discontinue ultimate season after the Bucs out of place seven in their ultimate 9 video video games to score 8-9. Bowles overhauled his employees, bringing in fashionable offensive and particular groups coordinators in hopes of fast righting the send.

Last talents pool

The vast majority of impactful roster additions have been made, and maximum rosters are soaring round ability. Nevertheless, a number of high quality (albeit rising previous) veterans stay unsigned. They might quickly obtain the alternatives they crave as groups name lingering holes. Serve watch over huge receivers Stefon Diggs, Keenan Allen and Deebo Samuel, offensive linemen Cam Robinson and Taylor Decker, cross rushers Joey Bosa, Jadeveon Clowney and Von Miller, defensive abet Trevon Diggs and linebacker Bobby Wagner.