NFL Training Camp 2024: Bo Nix, Jayden Daniels Impressing Early on in Workouts
It's full speed ahead across the National Football League. With training camps underway from coast to coast, teams are hard at work getting ready for the season to come.
For some of those teams, camp has been relatively uneventful so far. Workouts are being held. New schemes are being implemented. Young players are adjusting to life in the NFL.
But for quite a few teams, the relief that comes with the daily monotony of workouts has been interrupted by happenings that are anything but boring. Rebuilding teams are trying to resolve position battles that will have major implications on the field this year. More than one potential Super Bowl contender is dealing with a messy contract situation that could devolve into a major distraction.
As much as teams crave boredom at times, life in the NFL is rarely boring.
And as we prepare to head into the weekend, here's a look at Friday's biggest happenings from training camps—starting with an update on one contract situation that doesn't appear headed toward a resolution any time soon.
CeeDee Lamb Holdout Could Drag on for Weeks
1 of 9
As the Dallas Cowboys prepare to attempt to defend their NFC East title, the team faces a number of potentially franchise-altering contract decisions—quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and edge-rusher Micah Parsons are all angling for deals that could reset the market at their respective positions.
Cowboys vice-president Stephen Jones told reporters that both Lamb and Parsons are looking to become the highest-paid non-quarterbacks in the game.
"Both of them [Lamb and Parsons], rightfully so, believe they should be the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league," Jones said. "Totally respect that. So very difficult situations that we're trying to work through with them."
Lamb has yet to report to camp while seeking that mega-deal, and while appearing on the Scoop City podcast, The Athletic's Dianna Russini said that his holdout isn't likely to be resolved any time soon.
"Lamb is going to demand the money he thinks he's worth," Russini said. So, he's holding out. From having conversations, I don't see this getting ironed out over the next few days. I think this is something we're going to see leading into next week, maybe even the week after. This isn't one of those situations where I'm getting vibes, signs, positive attitude from both sides. It just seems like it's a challenge for the Dallas Cowboys to get there."
Getting all three deals done isn't going to be easy—especially if Lamb and Parsons really are looking for more than $35 million a season (Justin Jefferson's average annual salary).
But hey—you can't spell "Drama" without a Big D.
Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa Gets Massive Payday...and Massive Expectations
2 of 9
Well, another of the contract dominos have fallen—and this one made quite the racket when it hit the ground.
Per Joe Schad of USA Today, on Friday the Dolphins agreed to terms on a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension. The pact includes $167 million in guarantees.
Earlier this week, wide receiver Tyreek Hill told reporters that despite the contract impasse, Tagovailoa was in great spirits and all business.
"Still coming in to work, still about his business without having a deal done and it's just been awesome, man," Hill said. "Just having him around. Just his presence means a lot to a lot of the guys, especially me, so excited."
Tagovailoa's spirits should be that much higher now that he's gotten his massive payday. But along with that paycheck is going to come exponentially more pressure.
Now that Tagovailoa is locked in as Miami's offensive leader for the foreseeable future, he's going to be expected to do more than just post gaudy stats and lead the NFL in passing yards.
The expectation will be to win. To dethrone the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East. To overcome the postseason failures that have plagued the franchise for over 20 years. To make a deep playoff run. To get Miami back in the Super Bowl for the first time since 1984.
Miami's offense is loaded with skill-position talent. But there are questions along the offensive line. And in the front-seven defensively. There are also the durability concerns that have cost Tagovailoa time in three of four seasons.
Rising to the top of a loaded AFC won't be easy. But when you're making over $53 million a season, that's exactly what the expectation is.
Bo Nix Likely Week 1 Starter for Broncos
3 of 9
The Denver Broncos are entering something of a new era in 2024—after two mostly disappointing seasons, the team jettisoned quarterback Russell Wilson in the offseason. In 2024, it will be either veteran Jarrett Stidham, former No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson or rookie first-rounder Bo Nix who takes the reins for the Denver offense.
Head coach Sean Payton told reporters that all three quarterbacks will see first-team reps in training camp, with one earning more if he starts to separate from the pack.
"We're on the same page, they don't find out when they walk out here," Payton said. "[They find out] in meetings, we set the week in advance, we talk to them, there's great dialogue. It's important ... there's a flow and an organization to how guys are going to get reps in camp early on and that begins to change as we get closer to the preseason. They're very much on the same page."
However, while Payton may not be ready to name a starter publicly, per ESPN's Jeff Legwold many personnel around the NFL believe that for the first time in his head coaching career, Payton plans to roll out a rookie quarterback in Nix.
It's not hard to see why Payton might lean that direction. In four seasons, Stidham has made all of four starts. Wilson has made 33 starts over his three professional seasons, but he has completed just 57 percent of his passes with 23 touchdowns and 25 interceptions.
Nix has yet to throw an NFL pass, but those aren't especially high bars to clear. Assuming Nix doesn't faceplant over the next month-plus, he'll likely be the starter when Denver opens the regular season in Seattle on September 8.
.jpg?w=256 "Browns Football")
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels "Doing Outstanding"
4 of 9
Bo Nix isn't the only rookie quarterback who many expect to start come Week 1. As a matter of fact, it would be a sizable upset if Jayden Daniels isn't under center when the Commanders face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1.
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn told reporters Friday that Daniels has impressed in the early stages of camp. But the team is sticking to its plan where developing the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner is concerned.
"He's doing outstanding," Quinn said. "We're really pleased with where we are, but we're not changing the timelines or the guidelines on how we're gonna approach things."
For his part, Daniels told reporters he has no problem competing with Marcus Mariota for the starting job.
"I like competing," Daniels said. "Regardless if I'm announced as the starter or not, I still have to compete. You can't be content with your job or [be] comfortable. So, for me it's not a problem at all. It's up to DQ and AP (general manager Adam Peters) for the decision, but for me, I can control how hard I practice and I compete."
It's understandable that the Commanders don't just want to hand the job to Daniels. But when last we saw Mariota, he was mediocre in 13 starts for the Atlanta Falcons two years ago.
In other words, unless Daniels has an outright miserable training camp and preseason, the second overall pick in the 2024 draft is going to be Washington's starter when the team takes the field at Raymond James Stadium.
Patriots S Jabrill Peppers Gets Three-Year Extension
5 of 9
It has been quite the up-and-down career for veteran safety Jabrill Peppers. But Friday will go down as an "up" day.
As reported by ESPN's Field Yates, Peppers and the New England Patriots are finalizing terms on a three-year, $24 million extension. The deal could be worth up to $30 million with incentives.
It caps something of a comeback for Peppers. A first-round pick of the Cleveland Browns back in 2017, Peppers never really fit in in Cleveland. In 2019, he was shipped to the New York Giants as part of the Odell Beckham trade.
Peppers started 30 games over three seasons in the Big Apple, tallying a career-best 91 total tackles in 2020. But it's once Peppers joined the Patriots in 2022 that things really seemed to click for the 28-year-old.
Last year, Peppers started 15 games in New England—his most starts since 2018. The former Michigan standout posted 78 combined tackles, eight passes defensed, two interceptions and one sack. Per Pro Football Focus, Peppers was the fifth-best safety in the NFL last season with an 87.3 overall grade. He logged 17 stops in the run game (tied for sixth-most among safeties) and allowed just 132 receiving yards on 34 targets in coverage.
It may be that Peppers just needed a scheme that played to his strengths while masking his weaknesses. Or it could be that Peppers is just a late bloomer. But in any event, he appears to have finally found a long-term home.
Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson Looking to Rebound in 2024
6 of 9
It's been a rough two years for Deshaun Watson in Cleveland. After the Browns dealt three first-round picks to Houston for Watson and gave him a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract, Watson has played in just 12 games over the past two years. When Watson has been on the field, the results have been—less than impressive.
Watson is still rehabbing the shoulder injury that ended his 2023 season, but he told reporters on Friday that he's on a mission to block out the naysayers and show that he can return to 2020 form.
"I think honestly it's really just blocking out all the bull****, honestly, outside," Watson said. "It was tough coming in two years [ago] — different environment, different team, different all that. So, you come in and your character has been mentioned this way and then it kind of flips on you and you're trying to... the biggest thing is you're trying to get people to like you or improve. But now, it's like, at the end of the day, it's two years in and you're going to like me, or you have your own opinions and, yeah, it is what it is. So, I think blocking out all the noise and focusing on me, and focusing on what I need to do to be the best Deshaun Watson I can be for myself, my family, and my teammates."
Cleveland's roster isn't short on talent, whether it's at the skill positions, along the offensive line or on the NFL's No. 1 defense from a season ago. But as we saw last season, without improved play at the game's most important position the Browns are a one-and-done fringe contender at best.
Steelers QB Russell Wilson Nursing Calf Injury
7 of 9
So the Russell Wilson era in Pittsburgh is off to a bit of a bumpy start.
Wilson has missed Pittsburgh's last two practices with a calf injury, and on Friday the veteran signal-caller shared some additional information on what landed him on the sideline.
Wilson may not have been able to practice, but he was able to work on the side a bit with wide receivers Calvin Austin and Roman Wilson. While speaking to reporters, Austin espoused a refrain that has echoed throughout the Steel City this offseason—Wilson has impressed in his new home.
"Obviously, somebody my age, you've seen him in the Super Bowl and has been the quarterback for some legendary teams," Austin said. "It's almost surreal at first. ... Russ doesn't wanna do anything but to help the team and for our personal growth, too. He's been to the top, won a Super Bowl. He's pushing you to be a better person and player."
Now, a minor calf injury isn't cause for any major concern. And the presence of Justin Fields gives the team arguably the best Plan B under center in the league. Fields told reporters it was good to get some practice reps with the first team.
"It was good to get back out there and knock the dust off a little bit," Fields said. "I felt like everybody's excited and anxious to get back on the field. It was pretty good, then tomorrow work again and get better. I was definitely trying to take advantage of each and every rep that I got today. I am just looking forward to getting better tomorrow."
But if Wilson's injury lingers, things could get interesting in the Steel City pretty quickly.
D.J. Chark Jr. Running with First-Team Offense at WR for Los Angeles Chargers
8 of 9
Back in May, veteran wide receiver D.J. Chark told reporters that the main reason he joined the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency was that he saw an opportunity to make a sizable dent on the playing field in 2024.
"Opportunity, honestly," Chark said. "I felt like it was a great match for me. Going into Year 7, I felt like this was a great place for me. I'll talk to anyone who wants to pick my brain, but at the end of the day, I'm still learning myself. I'd like to come in and, instead of looking at it as a (role as a) mentor, I look at it as a brother to these guys (young wide receivers). If you need something, I'm there for you."
It's still early in training camp, but it appears that Chark may be getting that opportunity after all. Per Daniel Popper of The Athletic, when the Chargers took the practice field this week, Chark was on the first-team offense, along with veteran Joshua Palmer and rookie wideout Ladd McConkey. Second-year pro Quentin Johnston, who was a first-round pick of the Bolts last year, ran with the second-team.
Now, this could just be head coach Jim Harbaugh seeing what he has in an unsettled wide receiver corps. But Chark does have a 1,000-yard receiving season and a Pro Bowl (in 2019) on his NFL resume.
This will bear monitoring as we move into the preseason. And if Johnston really does get relegated to reserve duties, then a pick that already looked bad after Johnston's disappointing rookie campaign will just look that much worse.
Saints CB Marshon Lattimore Exits Practice with Hip Injury
9 of 9
When New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore is on the field, he's one of the better players at his position in the NFL. But staying on the field has been an issue of late—over the past two seasons Lattimore has missed significant time with a lacerated kidney and a badly sprained ankle.
Now, Lattimore is on the shelf again. Per John Sigler of Saints Wire, the four-time Pro Bowler exited Friday's practice with a hip flexor injury of unknown severity. As Sigler wrote, Lattimore's recent injury history likely played a part in the Saints' draft strategy back in April.
"This is why they drafted Kool-Aid McKinstry despite having both Paulson Adebo and Alontae Taylor on the roster along with Lattimore," he wrote. "No team has enough cornerbacks, and the Saints are no different. If this does linger then both McKinstry and Taylor will be getting on the field instead of competing with each other to man the slot. McKinstry took Lattimore's reps on the first team defense with Taylor remaining in the slot at Friday's practice."
The NFC South is probably the most wide-open division in the NFL. The Atlanta Falcons, Saints and three-time reigning division champion Buccaneers all have a legitimate shot to win the division in 2024.
But losing the anchor for the league's 10th-ranked pass defense from a year ago for any real amount of time would be a sizable blow to the team's chances. So, you can rest assured there are fingers crossed in the Big Easy that Lattimore's injury isn't serious.
.jpg?w=480 "Browns Football")
.jpg?w=480 "Super Bowl Football")
