NFL camp notebook: Most surprising storylines from early practices

With every NFL team officially in training camp, we're analyzing the most surprising storylines around the league.

Disgruntled receivers 🙍

The wide receiver market stole offseason headlines with its record-breaking deals. The position remains a hot topic at camps - this time because several star players haven't signed extensions.

CeeDee Lamb didn't report to Cowboys camp. The All-Pro receiver, who led the NFL with 135 catches in 2023, is coming off a sensational 1,700-yard, 12-TD campaign. He can reasonably demand a lot of money after Justin Jefferson inked a four-year, $140-million contract in June, but Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Co. don't seem to be in any rush to extend the team's top weapon. An agreement will eventually come, but not having Lamb on the field is testing Dallas' questionable WR depth: Brandin Cooks and Jalen Tolbert are the team's top wideouts right now.

In San Francisco, the 49ers have yet to extend Brandon Aiyuk, a second-team All-Pro who reported to camp but isn't practicing. He's no Jefferson (or Lamb), but the 26-year-old has recorded a pair of 1,000-yard seasons. With one year left on his rookie contract, the 2020 first-round pick wants to get paid or get traded, but San Francisco doesn't intend to do either. Aiyuk is a key member of a stacked 49ers offense that also features running back Christian McCaffrey, receiver Deebo Samuel, and tight end George Kittle.

Ja'Marr Chase is also looking for a new contract. His situation isn't as urgent as the other pass-catchers (mostly because Chase still has two years left on his deal), so the Bengals' leading wideout is at camp but isn't practicing. Still, there's hope: Coach Zac Taylor recently said Cincy has a plan for the three-time Pro Bowler.

Other holdouts 😬

Trent Williams: It was a bit of a surprise when Williams opted out of 49ers camp, as he's signed through 2026, but his contract doesn't have any guaranteed salary over the next three years. Plus, Williams - an 11-time Pro Bowl left tackle who's still in his prime and integral in San Francisco's offense - saw multiple offensive tackles sign more lucrative deals in 2024. Williams' $23-million average annual salary is now fifth among OTs, according to Spotrac.

Haason Reddick: The Jets traded for Reddick in March to add an established edge rusher, but they haven't seen much from him - he skipped mandatory minicamp and remains away from training camp. The two-time Pro Bowler is in the last year of a deal that includes a non-guaranteed $14.2-million base salary. With four double-digit sack seasons on his resume, Reddick is eyeing a significant pay bump ahead of his age-30 campaign.

How about QBs? 🤑

There's not a single quarterback whose camp participation is currently affected by negotiations. A four-year, $212.4-million contract ended Tua Tagovailoa's run as a limited participant at practice in Miami, and Jordan Love took to the field after the Packers rewarded him with a four-year pact worth $220 million (the highest average annual salary in NFL history, tied with Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence). Next up is, presumably, Dak Prescott, who has one year left on his contract and is negotiating a new deal - though whether it'll actually happen came into question due to candid recent quotes from Prescott and Jerry Jones.

QB controversy in Pittsburgh? 🤔

The Steelers signed Russell Wilson and traded for Justin Fields in the offseason, and coach Mike Tomlin made it clear that Wilson was the starter. A calf injury has prevented the nine-time Pro Bowler from being a full participant at practice, though, so Fields has been QB1 in Pittsburgh's new system under coordinator Arthur Smith. The former Bear has been far from perfect, but his flashes have seemingly caught Tomlin's attention.

Pittsburgh is now open-minded about Fields' ability to catch Wilson in the race for the starting job, according to ESPN's Dan Graziano. Fields' rushing ability is elite, but his passing skills have been an issue since he was drafted 11th overall in 2021. Still, moments like his deep bomb to Van Jefferson and easy connections with George Pickens at practice could help him earn the starting role as Wilson's decline continues.

Notable camp standouts 🔥

Sam Darnold

There was supposed to be a QB competition at the Vikings' training camp, but we've mostly seen Darnold throwing bombs. Granted, rookie J.J. McCarthy is leaving a good impression, but Darnold's ability to create plays with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison has been a welcome surprise for Minnesota early on. The 27-year-old passer is on his third team in as many seasons but looks comfortable in the Vikings' quarterback-friendly system.

Caleb Williams

The former Heisman Trophy winner is getting several weapons involved at practice while making off-script plays and off-platform throws at the NFL level. That's what made him this year's first overall pick, and it's not surprising he's thriving. As a rookie QB, he's not perfect, of course - but his highlights are awesome.

Diontae Johnson

The Panthers needed a starting receiver when they traded for Johnson in March, and indications at camp are that the former Steeler will be a massive part of the team's offense. His timing with quarterback Bryce Young has reportedly been good, and based on coach Dave Canales' recent comments, Johnson is Carolina's clear WR1, a significant (and surprising) development for a receiver-needy team that also rosters veteran Adam Thielen and first-round rookie Xavier Legette. Oh, and the Panthers also like Jonathan Mingo's camp performances so far. It's safe to say Carolina feels a lot better about its WR room.

Malik Nabers

Nabers may be even better than we thought. Just look at these plays:

It feels like the rookie wideout has been in the NFL for years. The Giants - who have reportedly been implementing more pre-snap motion - aren't shying away from using him and even had the LSU stud run a reverse near the goal line. Having already produced several highlight-reel moments, Nabers should become the first New York receiver with 1,000 yards in a season since Odell Beckham Jr. in 2018 if the Daniel Jones-led offense doesn't limit his potential. That could be a big if, though (more on that later).

Allen Lazard

Lazard has proven that his chemistry with Aaron Rodgers is on point. The 28-year-old - who had a disappointing 23-311-1 stat line in 2023 after signing a four-year, $44-million deal - had a great first week of training camp (despite having his worst practice Monday), and is showing signs that he might bounce back in 2024. Let's see if he can keep this momentum once Mike Williams is off the PUP list.

Ray-Ray McCloud III

The Falcons gave McCloud a two-year contract in free agency, and the thought was that the veteran receiver's role would essentially be limited to kick returns; he caught 26 passes combined in the last two years. McCloud is still one of Atlanta's main returners, but he's gaining momentum as the team's starting slot receiver over Rondale Moore. At practice, McCloud has hauled in multiple long passes from Kirk Cousins while posting regular first-team snaps. He's also consistently been the second receiver after Drake London to get throwing reps from the QB.

Jared Wiley

The Chiefs drafting Wiley - a 6-foot-6 tight end with solid hands and vertical ability - in the fourth round this past April sounded like a scary combination, and now we're starting to see why. Kansas City is featuring Wiley in red-zone packages at training camp - and the TCU product is delivering.

Wiley also made a sensational one-handed catch on a deep throw from Patrick Mahomes last week.

Isaiah Likely

On Monday, the third-year tight end caught five of Lamar Jackson's 18 completions in team drills. Baltimore has reportedly moved Likely around to maximize his abilities, and the 24-year-old could be an interesting weapon as the Ravens look for a third receiving option behind tight end Mark Andrews and wideout Zay Flowers. Andrews remains the No. 1 TE, but he's battled injuries in recent years. Likely could break out in 2024 after posting a 30-411-5 stat line despite playing fewer than 50% of Baltimore's offensive snaps last season.

Javonte Williams

Broncos head coach Sean Payton praised Williams, who is now back to his collegiate size, saying he looks "much different" after his weight loss. As a rookie in the NFL, he had 1,219 scrimmage yards and averaged 5 yards per touch. But the former North Carolina star sustained a torn ACL in 2022 and his production dropped in 2023 and he averaged 3.6 yards per carry. But, entering his contract year, reports indicate that the 24-year-old has been noticeably faster at camp and took a toss 10 yards before being touched on Monday in the team's first practice with full pads. Payton's outfit could rely heavily on its running backs due to potential QB limitation, and Williams looks ready to step up.

Trending down 📉

Jaguars' red-zone offense

It was rough to watch Jacksonville's red-zone offense through the first week of practices, with quarterback Trevor Lawrence being picked off five times. Becoming more efficient near the end zone was big for the Jaguars after they struggled in those situations last year, but this is still a work in progress for the Lawrence-led unit.

Daniel Jones

Yes, Jones has had his moments - most of which were passes to Nabers - but the quarterback's inconsistency is still an issue. He's forced a few passes at practice and had bad overthrows.

The 27-year-old - who just recovered from a torn ACL - remains the starter, but this is a make-or-break year for both Jones and head coach Brian Daboll.

Vikings' CB group

The Vikings have a lot to figure out at corner - and they better do it quickly. Facing the NFC North offenses led by Jordan Love, Caleb Williams, and Jared Goff won't be easy, especially since Minnesota recently lost two corners to injuries: potential breakout candidate Mekhi Blackmon sustained a torn ACL and veteran Shaquill Griffin - the projected CB2 - has a lower leg injury that will sideline him for at least a week. Byron Murphy II, Akayleb Evans, Andrew Booth Jr., and Duke Shelley, among others, remain on the depth chart. The team did sign veteran Fabian Moreau as well as Bobby McCain, and the latter's ability to play both safety and corner should help. Still, the Vikings allowed a 95.2 passer rating last year, and bad injury luck early at camp isn't helping Brian Flores fix his secondary.

Unanswered questions 🤨

What can we expect from the Chargers? Los Angeles looks different on and off the field compared to last year. New doesn't always mean better, though. Justin Herbert is comfortable in the new system with an improved O-line around him, though an injury forced top running back Gus Edwards out of team drills for almost a week. At wide receiver, Jim Harbaugh really likes Quentin Johnston, who has flashed more potential after his disappointing rookie year. But he's also had some bad reps. Ladd McConkey is getting on the same page as Herbert and made a great catch this week. The play, however, was seemingly blown dead before the pass was made. It doesn't look good on this WR room that Harbaugh apparently told his defensive backs to tone back their physicality after an early practice was too much for the wideouts last week. It's hard to figure out how competitive Herbert's supporting cast will be.

Who will start for Denver? The Broncos' quarterback battle continues with rookie Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, and Zach Wilson. The team was running a three-man rotation to determine who gets the majority of first-team snaps each day but skipped Wilson on Tuesday. But there's still no clarity around the starter: Nix has the higher ceiling but had arguably his worst practice on Monday, Stidham would be the safer bet, and Wilson remains a wild-card option. Preseason will be huge in Denver.

When will Nick Chubb return? The Browns' excellent tailback played just two games last season before sustaining a knee injury. He first had surgery to repair a torn MCL and meniscus in September 2023 before undergoing a procedure on his ACL two months later. Cleveland hasn't been very clear about its star's return timetable other than announcing last year that he was expected to return "at some point in the 2024 season." Chubb, however, got Browns fans excited by sharing a video of him squatting 540-plus pounds in July.

Browns general manager Andrew Berry said this week that Chubb has "a little way to go" in his recovery. The four-time Pro Bowler began camp on the PUP list but reportedly ran full sprints and did some cutting drills after a recent practice session. If he's still on the PUP list by late August, Chubb will miss at least the season's first four games. Jerome Ford - his projected replacement - practiced for the first time at camp Monday after an absence due to personal reasons.