NFL training camp season is here. The league officially released report dates for all 32 teams, and the countdown to actual football is on.
The earliest camp opens July 17, when the Seattle Seahawks bring in their rookies. Veterans report to Seattle on July 24. That kicks off a two week window where every team in the league gets to camp, with all 32 rosters reporting by July 28.
Every camp comes with a story, and this year the biggest headlines are in Buffalo and Pittsburgh.
The Buffalo Bills open the Joe Brady era in earnest. The 36 year old was elevated to head coach after Sean McDermott was let go following the Bills’ latest playoff heartbreak. Brady’s job is simple to describe and impossible to actually pull off. He has to take the same core Josh Allen roster to a Super Bowl, which is something McDermott could not do over the last eight years.
The Bills reshaped their receiver room this offseason. Their defense has more speed. Allen is still one of the top five quarterbacks in the league. This is a legitimate title window, and Brady gets his shot at making it happen.
The Philadelphia Eagles start camp on July 28 at the Jefferson Health Training Complex. Jalen Hurts is coming off a career high 25 passing touchdowns and his third Pro Bowl selection. He also became one of just two active players since 2000 to hit 30 total touchdowns in four straight seasons, joining Josh Allen. Nick Sirianni’s group is a Super Bowl contender until further notice.
Pittsburgh opens on July 29, and the storyline everyone is watching is the third quarterback battle. Aaron Rodgers is the starter for what will be his final NFL season. He said as much earlier this offseason. Behind him, Mason Rudolph and Will Howard are competing for a backup role that could end up mattering if the 42 year old Rodgers has any physical issues.
Howard, the former Ohio State star, has been getting positive reviews out of Pittsburgh’s minicamps. Rudolph has been the veteran presence, but the coaching staff has to keep an eye toward the future. Rodgers is not coming back after this year. Whoever wins the backup job could get real reps if things go sideways.
The Dallas Cowboys open camp with a huge question mark on the edge. Micah Parsons is gone, traded to Green Bay for a package that included Kenny Clark and two first round picks. The Cowboys have to figure out their pass rush without their best defender. Clark can play, but he is not Parsons.
The Green Bay Packers, meanwhile, walk into camp with an $188 million Parsons contract on the books and expectations to make a real playoff run. Parsons is still working back from a torn ACL suffered last season and is not going to be available for Week One, per his own comments earlier this summer.
The Cardinals and Panthers report first among all teams. Carolina fans are still processing the change at head coach and quarterback. Arizona feels like a possible sleeper. Both franchises are in the middle of long rebuilds, and camp is about hunting for young talent that can stick.
Camp always separates the pretenders from the contenders. Injuries pile up. Positional battles get real. Coaches show their cards on scheme decisions. By the middle of August, we will have a much clearer sense of which teams are for real.
For now, the biggest gift is that football is back. Kick off is 10 weeks away.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
