All 32 NFL teams kicked off training camp this week, and we can now officially say it: Football is back. There are rookies we are all intrigued by, new faces in new places, quarterbacks looking to reestablish themselves and players getting absolutely PAID. The past few days in the NFL have been absolutely wild.
This page will serve as your "NFL training camp highlights tracker." Below, we will discuss some major storylines and also compile highlights from training camps around the league.
George Pickens continues to make amazing catches
Joey Porter Jr. is a very good cover corner, but Pickens showcased how good he is when the ball reaches his catch radius. Pickens went crazy after the catch in celebration, while all Porter could do was watch.
Welcome to the NFL Joey Porter Jr. What a catch by Pickens! #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/UMquU82Y2G
— Blitzburgh (@Blitz_Burgh) August 1, 2023
A big Year 2 is in store for Pickens. Those highlight reel catches were on display in his rookie year as Pickens looks to put a complete year together this season.
Micah Parsons gives Dak Prescott a scare
Good play by Micah Parsons to get the sack on Dak Prescott, but the All-Pro pass rusher went low on the Cowboys franchise quarterback on the sack.
Micah Parsons sack pic.twitter.com/kvptOz3yPW
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 1, 2023
This could have been disastrous for the Cowboys (even though Cooper Rush is the backup). Their Super Bowl hopes rest on a healthy Prescott.
Romeo Doubs pulls a Randy Moss-style catch against Jaire Alexander
Doubs was maligned in his rookie season for the Packers, but this was a very impressive snag against Jaire Alexander -- one of the game's top cornerbacks.
DOUBS OVER TOP OF JAIRE pic.twitter.com/AueXbSa3Bn
— OberSports (@obersports) August 1, 2023
Doubs had Alexander beat and had to adjust to make the catch. He'll be counted on to help out Jordan Love this year.
Jason Kelce plays with his daughters after practice
After Eagles practice Tuesday, it was hard to ignore what Jason Kelce does with both his daughters. Kelce was playing ball with them, lying on the ground and throwing the football as they ran to the ball and gave it back to him. In return, Kelce wants a high five when they come back with the ball.
Kelce's daughters look forward to hanging out with him after every practice.
Jason Kelce playing football with his daughters.
— Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrCBS) August 1, 2023
They wait every day after practice to do this with him. #GirlDad #Eagles pic.twitter.com/FJ0DWHEaIX
It was a cool post-practice moment you don't see every day.
Anthony Richardson with a money throw
Richardson has taken reigns of the first-team offense for the Indianapolis -- and will retain the job with throws like this.
This THROW by Anthony Richardson 😳
— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) August 2, 2023
Richardson reportedly once again took all of the first-team reps in his return to practice.
Richardson said that he’s gained “8-12” pounds of muscle over the off-season.
Richardson reportedly plans to play around 250 pounds, which is 10… pic.twitter.com/iTkTsFQ6NN
This throw showcases Richardson's potential and what he can provide to the Colts' offense. Now they just need Jonathan Taylor back.
Kid goes wild after high-fiving Lamar
I'm not sure this kid will ever wash his left hand again. As the Ravens made their way out to the practice field Monday, Lamar Jackson gave high-fives to fans. This one kid couldn't believe he touched his football hero.
Overall, Ravens training camp seems like the place to be.
Wait for the reaction to high-fiving @Lj_era8 💜 pic.twitter.com/9qAEC1smiy
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) July 31, 2023
Absurd one-handed INT
This may be one of the best interceptions you'll ever see -- even if it occurred in training camp. Giants safety Jason Pinnock needed just one hand to pick off Daniel Jones in the end zone. You'll have to see it to believe it.
One-handed INT 🔥 pic.twitter.com/owJgiELMjX
— New York Giants (@Giants) July 30, 2023
Justin Jefferson, best WR in the NFL
The reigning Offensive Player of the Year caught a league-leading 128 passes for a league-leading 1,809 yards and eight touchdowns in 2022, and his NFL career is off to a historic start. Jefferson appears to be putting on a show at training camp this week. Check out some of these grabs.
He's different.@JJettas2 pic.twitter.com/JCXDwcJ5YB
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) July 28, 2023
Spotted at #Vikings training camp today, just another casual one-handed grab for Justin Jefferson. @KSTPSports pic.twitter.com/PD2CkZ54Dm
— Alec Ausmus (@A_TwiceKSTP) July 28, 2023
OBJ TD
Odell Beckham Jr. is the newest Ravens wide receiver and after missing last season due to injury, he is back on the field. OBJ looked like no time has passed since he caught a touchdown pass when on Saturday, quarterback Lamar Jackson connected with the wide receiver for six.
😮 @obj pic.twitter.com/lkRWdT9TWt
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) July 29, 2023
Kelce gets in a scuffle
Tight end Travis Kelce caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes at training camp and was not happy with the defensive coverage on the play. After catching the pass, Kelce threw a punch at linebacker Jack Cochrane, likely not happy with the timing of his hit.
Fight: #Chiefs TE Travis Kelce threw a punch at Jack Cochrane which started a very short scuffle between the two.
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) July 29, 2023
Kelce probably felt he was hit late.
(🎥 @Nicolas_Roesch)pic.twitter.com/Fz1191qKBi
Following practice, Kelce apologized for his actions.
Gotta be a better teammate gotta be a better leader… plain and simple
— Travis Kelce (@tkelce) July 29, 2023
Dak's dime to Cooks
Brandin Cooks spent last season toiling in Houston, waiting for the Texans to find him a new home where his skills could help translate to victories. That day appears to be now as Cooks -- who has compiled 1,000-yard receiving seasons for four different teams throughout his career -- will get a chance to be a big part of the Dak Prescott-led Cowboys offensive attack in 2023.
On Saturday, the duo hooked up for what they hope will be the first of many scoring strikes this season.
Dak with the dime to Cooks pic.twitter.com/4apYYiaKPt
— Bobby Belt (@BobbyBeltTX) July 29, 2023
Jimmy G works with Davante Adams
During Saturday's practice, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and wide receiver Davante Adams were seen working on the deep ball. Adams was traded from the Packers to the Raiders last season and will be looking for a new connection with Jimmy G after seeing Derek Carr move on to New Orleans. This is the first of many passes from Garoppolo to Adams we will see this season.
Jimmy Garoppolo working on the deep ball with Davante Adams pic.twitter.com/CA0KCCQyuB
— Omar Ruiz (@OmarDRuiz) July 29, 2023
Richardson drops it in the bucket
Indianapolis Colts rookie Anthony Richardson is one of the most uniquely talented athletes in the history of football. At Friday's training camp practice, he showed off his special combination of agility and arm strength as he rolled out to his left, flipped his hips and uncorked a cross-body laser to second-year wideout Alec Pierce.
Ladies & gentlemen, Anthony Richardson. pic.twitter.com/DgrkppBGY1
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) July 28, 2023
The Colts were in the bottom third of the league in explosive receptions last season, so they'd certainly like to see a whole lot more of this when the real games start in a few weeks.
Who's in the house? K.D.'s in the house
See what happens when Dan Snyder sells the team? Superstar fans start showing up to training camp. DMV legend Kevin Durant stopped by Commanders practice on Friday to take in the work of his favorite team.
.@KDTrey5 is in the house pic.twitter.com/9ZwAydTx4r
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) July 28, 2023
I'm gonna go out on a limb and say this may not have happened if what happened last week, hadn't happened.
Elsewhere in Camp Commies, Sam Howell fired a laser down the sideline to Terry McLaurin, who made a sliding catch and took out a cameraman -- who nevertheless pulled off a great shot of the play and was, apparently, unharmed.
no cameramen were hurt in the making of this sam to terry highlight pic.twitter.com/iVs9leZaBd
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) July 27, 2023
Mahomes shows off the cannon
Here's something we'll likely see quite a few times this coming season: Patrick Mahomes creating outside of structure, launching the ball from an awkward throwing angle deep down the field, and coming away with an explosive gain. In Chiefs practice on Friday, he did just that to find Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a big-gainer down the right sideline.
QB1 has the launch codes 🚀@PatrickMahomes x @MVS__11 pic.twitter.com/yXTG8Jnftw
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) July 28, 2023
MVS is the most experienced member of the wide receiver corps, and we know he's out there to use his speed deep down the field. Mahomes knows it, too.
Hop goes up top
DeAndre Hopkins treated Tennessee Titans camp to a familiar sight. In the first play of one-on-ones on Friday, Hopkins hauled in a deep ball over the top of cornerback Kristian Fulton -- and made it look far easier than it had any business being.
First play of #Titans 1 on 1s today and @DeAndreHopkins does his thing. pic.twitter.com/filvymwjhA
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) July 28, 2023
This is just what Hopkins does. He has been one of the best contested-catch receivers in the NFL for several years now, and his ability to make plays in tight spaces should greatly benefit the Titans offense this season.
Bijan Robinson leaves his man in the dust
The Atlanta Falcons selected Robinson with the No. 8 overall pick in the draft. Since making that pick, the Falcons have been touting Robinson's skills not just as a runner, but as a receiver. Early in camp, he showcased exactly what the team envisions him doing in that role.
Falcons rookie playmaker Bijan Robinson with a strong route against LB Troy Andersen and even better acrobatic catch to save this play in 1-on-1 drills earlier today. (H/T @FalcoholicKevin): pic.twitter.com/tERWftoJkM
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) July 28, 2023
It's worth noting that the poor man getting his ankles snatched is linebacker Troy Andersen, who ranked as the NFL's fifth-worst coverage linebacker last season, according to Pro Football Focus. (And that these types of one-on-one drills put the defensive player in position to fail more often than not.) Still, that's a pretty sweet move, and a really slick grab to top it off.
Damar Hamlin receives epic greeting from fans
On Jan. 2, the sports world came to a screeching halt when Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest after making a tackle against the Bengals on "Monday Night Football." It was a scary moment that will not soon be forgotten, but Hamlin is putting together quite the happy ending to his story.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott said Hamlin has been cleared, and "will be a full go" in camp. Check out how he was greeted by fans on Wednesday.
Here comes 3. 🫶@HamlinIsland | #BillsCamp pic.twitter.com/Ijj0Z5QGq3
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) July 26, 2023
Josh Allen makes little girl's day
Speaking of the Bills, a nice big brother got the ear of Bills star quarterback Josh Allen, and asked him to make his little sister's day.
Check out what happened:
An older brother passed up a shot at an autograph while asking @JoshAllenQB to find his sister and give her a hug and the @BuffaloBills QB did just that! She was in tears! 🥰@news10nbc pic.twitter.com/WFnktLOJhV
— Jennifer Lewke (@WHEC_JLewke) July 26, 2023
Bryce Young shows off his arm
Sure, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft is a bit small, but he appears to be a pretty good football player. Young earned the title of QB1 from head coach Frank Reich on Wednesday, and showed off what he's capable of on the practice field.
On this play, he hit new addition D.J. Chark on a deep post route -- splitting two defenders.
It's training camp.
— Sam Monson (@PFF_Sam) July 26, 2023
It's one throw.
BUT, we focused so much at draft time on what if Bryce Young's size means he can't play at this level.
What if he's every bit as good as he was in college? pic.twitter.com/TeydgwjMhK
Chiefs trying out trick plays
The Chiefs are so creative that they don't care to show off some trick plays in training camp. This double pass from Patrick Mahomes to Richie James to Marquez Valdes-Scantling got the crowd going.
🚨 Trick play alert! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/dr1nLIt5jk
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) July 26, 2023
Keenan Allen, still good
Allen is 31 years old and played in just 10 games last year, but he's still a major threat in the receiving game. Check out this one-handed catch on a ball thrown from the new richest quarterback in the NFL.
a one-handed keenan catch on day 1 just feels right pic.twitter.com/LaS3Y8oRPp
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) July 26, 2023
Calvin Ridley full-extension grab
The Jacksonville Jaguars made a sneaky addition at the trade deadline last year, acquiring the rights of Atlanta Falcons wideout Calvin Ridley. Jacksonville's new weaponry helped carry the Jags to the postseason last year, and Ridley is just another receiver that should fast-track Trevor Lawrence's development.
Check out this full-extension grab from the new Jag.
Lol this is going to be fun@CalvinRidley1 | @Trevorlawrencee pic.twitter.com/tnkWql8FV9
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) July 26, 2023
Garrett Wilson vs. Sauce Gardner
The New York Jets will be on HBO's "Hard Knocks" this year, and while everyone is excited to see Aaron Rodgers with his new team, football fans are also excited to see the Offensive Rookie of the Year take on the Defensive Rookie of the Year in practice as both continue to develop into superstars.
Check out this epic sneak peak. Iron sharpens iron.
OROY vs. DROY. Practice doesn't get better than this. 🔥 @GarrettWilson_V @iamSauceGardner #HardKnocks with the @nyjets premieres August 8th on @StreamOnMax pic.twitter.com/byq7F4mOnM
— NFL (@NFL) July 26, 2023
OBJ already a Baltimore celebrity
Odell Beckham Jr. told CBS Sports NFL Insider Josina Anderson that he was, "feeling more love from the Ravens" before signing a one-year deal that's worth up to $18 million in April.
Well, that "love" was on full display Wednesday.
The Flock went crazy for @obj❗️ pic.twitter.com/ltwNvyqIFx
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) July 26, 2023
DeAndre the Titan
Five-time All-Pro wideout DeAndre Hopkins signed a two-year, $26 million deal worth up to $32 million with the Tennessee Titans earlier this month, and he was present on the first day of training camp. According to reports, he was pretty active.
While Hopkins played just nine games last year, his 7.1 catches per game ranked fourth in the NFL and his 79.7 receiving yards per game ranked 10th. Hopkins can still support a passing game.
DeAndre Hopkins looked pretty efficient and smooth through his first day. First play of seven-on-seven was to him as was first pass play of team period. #Titans pic.twitter.com/CpZTS0PhbA
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) July 26, 2023
Saquon toe drag
Saquon Barkley is on the practice field with the New York Giants after surprisingly agreeing to a reworked one-year deal. Barkley ran for a career-high 1,312 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2022, and also caught 57 passes for 338 yards. He's a well-known dual-threat weapon, and made quite the touchdown snag on Wednesday while the Giants completed some red zone work.
Toe drag 👀 pic.twitter.com/V6nBOSk8FT
— New York Giants (@Giants) July 26, 2023
Aaron Rodgers takes more than $30M pay cut with Jets
Rodgers was officially traded to New York earlier this offseason, but there was work to do with his contract. After some money-maneuvering, Rodgers was set to be owed more than $107 million in 2024! We knew a new deal was coming, and that new deal reportedly came on Wednesday.
Per NFL Media, Rodgers has agreed to sign a two-year deal with $75 million guaranteed through 2024. Tom Pelissero notes that this new contract is technically a five-year deal, but includes two option years to spread out bonus proration.
From $107-plus million to $75 million. That should tell you Rodgers is serious about competing.
Players getting paid
While Rodgers took a pay cut, more players have gotten paid. Some of these team facilities appear to be operating as BANKS. We saw several notable names get new deals as training camp kicked off, including:
- Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs: Five years, $97 million (Read more here)
- Chargers QB Justin Herbert: Five years, $262.5 million (Read more here)
- Bears TE Cole Kmet: Four years, $50 million (Read more here)
- Giants LT Andrew Thomas: Five years, $117.5 million (Read more here)
- Texans RT Tytus Howard: Three years, $56 million (Read more here)
- Steelers EDGE Alex Highsmith: Four years, $68 million (Read more here)
PUP list tracker
Unfortunately, not every NFL player is physically ready to roll at this point in the offseason, and we have some notable names that have been placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. Players on PUP count against 90-man offseason rosters during training camp, but can be activated at any point prior to the season.
A couple of players currently on the PUP are Kyler Murray, Von Miller, Chase Claypool, Breece Hall and Jonathan Taylor, but for the full list, click here.