It’s almost time for players to report to training camp.
Rookies report to training camp this week for several teams. Los Angeles Chargers veterans report to camp July 16 and Detroit Lions veterans are scheduled to show up July 19 because they have a date in the Hall of Fame Game. All other clubs report to training camp the following week.
As training camp gets ready to commence across the league, USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon gives his perspective on all 32 teams; whether it’s a major question, a coach or player on the hot seat, or a contract situation.
AFC
AFC East
Buffalo Bills
James Cook is hoping to become the latest Bills player to cash in
There’s growing optimism the Bills and Cook will reach an agreement on a contract by training camp, a person close to the situation told USA TODAY Sports. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. Cook’s seen fellow running backs around the NFL cash in this offseason such as Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry. Plus, the Bills have given extensions to Josh Allen, Khalil Shakir, Terrel Bernard, Christian Benford and Greg Rousseau this offseason.
Miami Dolphins
Did Dolphins’ playoff hopes swim away?
It’s tough to gauge whether the Dolphins are buyers or sellers. Miami traded Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith. Terron Armstead’s retirement preceded the blockbuster trade. However, the Dolphins did reunite with Minkah Fitzpatrick and surprisingly got Darren Waller out of retirement.
New England Patriots
Can Mike Vrabel put his imprint on Patriots?
Vrabel is the 16th head coach in franchise history. He won three Super Bowls as a player for the Patriots. Can he help the Patriots return to prominence? The Patriots invested well over $200 million in overall contract value during free agency. New England hasn’t finished a season above .500 since 2021.
New York Jets
Is the third team the charm for Justin Fields?
Glenn is the 22nd coach in franchise history. He played for the Jets for eight seasons. One of the first things Glenn and new GM Darren Mougey did was clean their hands of Aaron Rodgers. Glenn’s given Justin Fields, who’s on his third team, a vote of confidence. He stated “the sky’s the limit” for the QB. The natural raw talent for Fields is there, but can he put it all together? The Jets own the dubious stat of the NFL’s longest active playoff drought.
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens
Have Ravens learned from past playoff failures?
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens say they are motivated by past playoff flameouts. Jackson is 3-5 in the postseason as a starter. Have the Ravens grown from their previous two playoff heartbreaking experiences? We won’t truly know until the 2025 postseason. But the Ravens once again boast a Super Bowl-caliber roster that was bolstered with the additions of Jaire Alexander and DeAndre Hopkins. The Ravens have an early litmus test Week 1 in Buffalo, the site of their most recent playoff defeat.
Cincinnati Bengals
Bengals roar on offense but what about defense?
The Bengals invested heavily in their three offensive stars in Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but the team’s expenditure on offense handicapped the defense. Defensive end Trey Hendrickson said he won’t play under his current deal. To make matters worse, the Bengals and rookie defensive end Shemar Stewart are in a contract stalemate.
Cleveland Browns
The winner of Cleveland’s quarterback competition is…?
Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders are vying to become the Browns starting quarterback. The four-way competition is taking place while Deshaun Watson is expected to miss the entire 2025 season. Flacco and Pickett are the early front runners, but it’ll behoove the Browns to see what they have in either Gabriel or Sanders before a 2026 draft in which they have two first-round selections.
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Pittsburgh Steelers
Aaron Rodgers’ arrival overshadowed T.J. Watt’s contract situation
Rodgers attended mandatory minicamp, but Watt was a noticeable absence amid his pursuit of a new contract. Myles Garrett reset the pass rusher market when he signed a record deal that averages $40 million annually and includes $123.5 million in guaranteed money. Watt’s contract is bound to be in the same neighborhood. Steelers GM Omar Khan said this offseason that he’s “hopeful” Watt finishes his career as a Steeler.
AFC South
Houston Texans
Houston’s uncertain offensive line
The Texans ranked 31st in run block win rate and 22nd in pass block win rate last season, per ESPN. C.J. Stroud was sacked an AFC-high 52 times in 2024. The Texans inexplicably traded away their best offensive lineman in Laremy Tunsil. Cam Robinson, Laken Tomlinson and Jake Andrews are slated to start along Houston’s revamped O-line.
Indianapolis Colts
Who wins quarterback competition between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones?
This season feels like the last chance for Richardson to prove that he’s Indy’s starter. Richardson’s absence during minicamp due to a shoulder injury allowed Jones more reps. Training camp and the preseason will be the final test for Richardson and Jones as they battle for the starting spot.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Travis Hunter’s usage on both sides of the ball
Hunter played over 86% of Colorado’s offensive snaps and 82% of the team’s defensive snaps. The Jaguars say they are going to play Hunter both ways, but it’s going to be fascinating to see how it unfolds.
Tennessee Titans
Can Cam Ward live up to the No. 1 overall pick hype?
Ward got a rousing endorsement from Hall of Famer Warren Moon. Moon is the franchise’s only 4,000-yard passer. The Titans haven’t had a 3,000-yard passer since Ryan Tannehill in 2021. Tennessee’s hopeful they’ve found a long-awaited answer at quarterback.
AFC West
Denver Broncos
Are Broncos ready to take a leap in Bo Nix’s second season?
Nix tallied the most offensive touchdowns (34), passing touchdowns (29) and passing yards (3,775) among rookies in 2024. Still, the Broncos had the AFC West’s worst passing offense last year. Courtland Sutton’s 1,081 receiving yards were more than two times more than Denver’s next leading receiver. The Broncos onboarded rookies RJ Harvey and Pat Bryant and signed tight end Evan Engram.
Kansas City Chiefs
Did Chiefs do enough to fortify their offensive line?
The last time we saw Patrick Mahomes play he was sacked a single-game most six times in a lopsided Super Bowl 59 defeat. Mahomes was sacked a career-high 36 times during the 2024 regular season. In response, the Chiefs signed Jaylon Moore in free agency, moved Kingsley Suamataia inside to guard and drafted Josh Simmons in the first round.
Las Vegas Raiders
Will Raiders have the identity of a Pete Carroll-led team?
Carroll teams historically have stout defenses and are good at running the football. The Raiders had the worst total defense in the AFC West and ranked last in the NFL in rushing in 2024. Rookie Ashton Jeanty should solve their issues on the ground.
Los Angeles Chargers
Can Chargers charge up their offense?
Year 1 of Jim Harbaugh was solid, but the Chargers offense was lethargic. Justin Hebert averaged a career-low 227 passing yards per game last season. On the ground, the club’s 4.1 yards per carry average ranked in the bottom half of the NFL. The Chargers drafted RB Omarion Hampton and WR Tre Harris in the first two rounds, brought in Najee Harris and reunited with Mike Williams in efforts to give their offense a jolt.
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NFC
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys
When is Micah Parsons going to get paid?
There’s optimism the Cowboys and Parsons will get a deal finalized before the start of the regular season, a person close to the situation told USA TODAY Sports. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. Parsons is expected to be the highest-paid defensive player in football once he inks his deal.
New York Giants
General manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll are on the hot seat
Schoen is notoriously known for letting Saquon Barkley walk to Philadelphia. We all know how that turned out. Daboll’s compiled an 18-32-1 record in three seasons as head coach. Both their jobs could be contingent upon Jaxson Dart’s success, but Russell Wilson is entering training camp as the starter.
Philadelphia Eagles
How will Eagles handle being the hunted and not the hunter?
Life is good for the defending Super Bowl champs now. But the championship lust will fade quickly as the Eagles look to fill the voids left by Milton Williams, Josh Sweat, Mekhi Becton, Darius Slay and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Jr. with younger and less experienced players.
Washington Commanders
What does Jayden Daniels have in store for an encore?
Daniels dazzled his rookie season as he became the only rookie in NFL history to pass for 3,500-plus yards and rush for 750-plus yards in a season, per NFL Research. The Commanders acquired Laremy Tunsil and Deebo Samuel in separate trades to aid their star quarterback in Year 2.
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NFC North
Chicago Bears
Is new Bears coach Ben Johnson up for the task of improving Chicago’s offense?
The Bears ranked last in total offense and Caleb Williams was sacked a league-high 68 times in 2024, tied for the third most in a single season. When Johnson was the offensive coordinator in Detroit, no offense averaged more points per game (30.1) or net yards per game (402.2) than the Lions the past two seasons.
Detroit Lions
Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn are out. John Morton and Kelvin Sheppard are in.
Will the departures of Johnson and Glenn have an impact on the Lions? Morton is the new offensive coordinator, and Sheppard is the new defensive coordinator. Both have big shoes to fill for a franchise that’s won the NFC North in back-to-back seasons.
Green Bay Packers
Packers wide receiver logjam
The Packers have a crowded wide receiver room featuring Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and rookie first-round pick Matthew Golden. Watson is expected to miss the start of the 2025 season as he recovers from an ACL tear. His return is bound to create a wide receiver competition for playing time. Doubs was already unhappy with his role at times last season.
Minnesota Vikings
Is J.J. McCarthy ready to start for the playoff-caliber Vikings?
The Vikings are poised to start McCarthy following Sam Darnold’s career year in Minnesota. Darnold is the first QB in NFL history to record 14 wins in his first season with a team. Yet, the Vikings appeared comfortable with Darnold packing his bags for the Pacific Northwest. Eyes will be on McCarthy as he starts for a team who has legitimate playoff expectations.
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons
Is Michael Penix Jr. Atlanta’s franchise quarterback?
Penix passed for 775 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions for a 78.9 passer rating in five games (three starts) last season. Penix showed positive signs in a short sample size, but he enters this year as the undisputed starter while Kirk Cousins yearns for a change of scenery.
Carolina Panthers
Will Bryce Young continue his positive trajectory?
Young passed for seven touchdowns and had zero interceptions in his final three regular-season games as Carolina won two of those three contests last year. He ended his second year with three straight games with over a 100-passer rating. Are things starting to click for Young after some early growing pains? The Panthers drafted WR Tetairoa McMillan, who shares a California connection with Young, as they aim to upgrade their offense.
New Orleans Saints
Is Tyler Shough marching in as Saints QB?
The Saints have an open competition at quarterback, but Shough is believed to be the frontrunner. Shough’s seven-year college career should bode well for him as he navigates life in the NFL.
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Have Bucs upgraded defense enough?
The Bucs signed Haason Reddick this offseason and four of the team’s six draft selections were on cornerbacks and edge rushers as they attempt to shore up a pass defense that ranked 29th in the league in 2024. Tampa Bay’s won the NFC South for four straight years, but offenses are improving in the division.
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals
Marvin Harrison Jr.’s development in his sophomore season
Harrison’s rookie numbers were good, but they fell short of the top wide receiver prospect expectations attached to him. He finished fifth among rookies in receptions and receiving yards. Harrison added more muscle this offseason as he hopes for a sophomore surge. The Cardinals need him to be a Bonafide No. 1 wide receiver.
Los Angeles Rams
Have Rams improved enough defensively?
Braden Fiske and reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse are emerging stars, but the Rams ranked 26th in the NFL in total defense a year ago. Los Angeles’ defensive shortcomings were highlighted when Saquon Barkley rushed for 460 yards and four TDs in two games (including one playoff contest) against them. The offense, with the addition of Davante Adams, figures to be formidable.
San Francisco 49ers
Robert Saleh returns as defensive coordinator for a 49ers club with plenty of new faces
The 49ers must mine for talent on defense after seeing many talented players depart such as Dre Greenlaw, Charvarius Ward, Talanoa Hufanga, Javon Hargrave and Leonard Floyd. San Francisco could have as many as five new starters along their defensive front seven in Week 1. The 49ers must rely on franchise pillars Fred Warner, Nick Bosa, Brock Purdy, George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams and Brandon Aiyuk if they want to return to NFC West glory.
Seattle Seahawks
Is Sam Darnold going to live up to his contract?
Was last season an anomaly or a sign of more to come for the journeyman quarterback? The Seahawks can get out of Darnold’s contract after one year if things don’t pan out. Seattle has an insurance plan in third-round pick Jalen Milroe.
Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.