The Biggest Winners and Losers from 2024 NFL Training Camps
The start of the 2024 NFL season is inching ever closer, making this a great time to take a look at how teams are faring in training camp. With each club now having participated in at least one preseason game, a clearer picture has begun to materialize.
Some players are sticking out for their fantastic production in practice and during the first wave of exhibition games, while others aren't looking too hot after failing to meet expectations.
There are also a few contract disputes still making headlines, causing distractions for several teams that can hardly afford them heading into make-or-break campaigns.
With that in mind, here's a look at some of the winners and losers of the NFL offseason thus far.
Winner: Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers
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In a very literal sense of the word, Brandon Aiyuk looks like he'll be a winner despite turning down life-changing money.
After Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers reached an impasse in contract extension negotiations, the New England Patriots reportedly came in with a strong offer for the star receiver that would have made him one of the best-paid players in the league.
During an appearance on the Scoop City podcast, Dianna Russini of The Athletic (h/t Yahoo! Sports) revealed the 26-year-old turned down a deal from the Pats worth "around $32 million a year."
That amount would have tied him with A.J. Brown for the NFL's second-highest annual average value at the position and rank behind only Justin Jefferson, who signed a historic deal this offseason.
While Aiyuk would almost certainly accept an offer in that range from his current employers, he wasn't willing to take it from a team that has been stuck in the league's basement and is unlikely to emerge as a contender within the next few seasons.
Russini noted that the Arizona State product had issues with New England's quarterback room—which currently has No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye battling for a starting job against veteran journeyman Jacoby Brissett—and bleak playoff outlook in a stacked AFC East.
The Cleveland Browns, another fringe contender at best, reportedly made a play for the receiver before being rebuffed. The Pittsburgh Steelers reportedly only offered $28 million annually and don't seem willing to give up enough to land the receiver.
Given negotiations with San Francisco's brass restarted last week, Aiyuk now appears be in line to play for a legitimate Super Bowl threat in 2024—and possibly well beyond—even if he doesn't net as much cash on his extension as he could have from another organization.
Loser: Marquise Brown, Kansas City Chiefs
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After spending the last couple of seasons languishing with the lowly Arizona Cardinals, Marquise Brown made the most of his free-agency foray by signing with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Although he only inked a one-year, incentive-laden deal with the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, the agreement offered him a real chance to get his career back on track.
Unfortunately for the 27-year-old, injuries—which cost him 11 games during his two-season tenure in Arizona—have reared their head again. He was briefly hospitalized after suffering a sternoclavicular joint dislocation on the very first play of his preseason debut against the Jacksonville Jaguars and is now expected to miss some time.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said Brown's chances to suit up for Week 1 of the regular season are now "in question."
Even if the Oklahoma product is available, he's missing valuable training camp reps that would have helped him get up to speed in Kansas City's complex offense.
Prior to the injury, Brown was expected to start and emerge as one of quarterback Patrick Mahomes' top targets in a role that will be especially important given last year's breakout rookie, Rashee Rice, is still facing what could be a lengthy suspension.
The Chiefs still have some options in Brown's absence, including rookie Xavier Worthy. The first-round pick may end up taking on a larger role than initially projected and could retain those duties going forward by making the most of the opportunity.
It's a tough blow for Brown, who seemed poised to rejoin the league's upper echelon of receiving talent and post his first 1,000-yard campaign since 2021. It's not too late for him to turn things around, but he's facing an uphill battle in wake of his injury.
Winner: QB Ryan Tannehill, Free Agent
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Without needing to appear in a preseason game or even show up at a training camp, veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill saw a sizable boost to his stock this past week.
The main reason behind this was a slew of underwhelming showings from backup QBs around the league.
Projected depth options such as the Los Angeles Chargers' Easton Stick (5-of-13 for 31 yards and an interception) and Mike White of the Miami Dolphins (4-of-14 for 26 yards) looked awful in their preseason openers.
Perhaps no one had a worse day than Drew Lock, who may be on the way to losing his second-string role with the New York Giants after completing a mere 4-of-10 throws for 17 yards and an interception. According to ESPN's Jordan Raanan, the 27-year-old also suffered a hip pointer and strained oblique that will sideline him for a few weeks.
The thought of thrusting any of these players into meaningful regular-season action—a real probability given the injury-prone QBs ahead of them on the depth chart—could spell disaster for their respective franchises.
Due to these disappointing preseason showings, teams may be more willing to shell out some cash to land a steady hand like Tannehill. His presence could bolster a quarterback room before training camp concludes and help a squad feel more comfortable about its chances to remain afloat if a starting passer goes down.
While the 2019 Pro Bowler hasn't been the most available player over the last two seasons—he has made just 20 starts since the beginning of the 2022 campaign due to injury and ineffectiveness—he's, arguably, the most talented proven veteran still on the open market.
Even at the age of 36 and coming off a woeful 2023 campaign with the Titans, Tannehill should still have enough in the tank to provide serviceable quarterback play for a few games if necessary.
Don't be surprised to see him sign before training camp wraps up.
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Loser: Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys
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The Dallas Cowboys ended a promising 2023 regular season—their third consecutive 12-5 campaign—with yet another disappointing early playoff exit.
Despite being upset at home in the Wild Card Round, Dallas had a relatively quiet offseason that saw little in the way of marquee draft picks and free agents joining the club.
Given the franchise was content to run it back with largely the same cast it's relied on in recent years, the mismanagement of CeeDee Lamb's contract extension by team owner Jerry Jones and the front office is starting to look like a concerning misstep.
Lamb was already considered one of the top wideouts in the NFL before emerging as a bona fide superstar during a breakout 2023 season, when he put up 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns on a league-leading 135 receptions.
Now entering his fifth season—and the final year of his rookie contract—it's past time to reward a homegrown talent who has been making his mark in the franchise's record books.
While paying the 25-year-old for the next half-decade or so should be a no-brainer, Jones has let this contract situation drag out too long and get too public. The owner's biggest blunder yet came last week, when he admitted he didn't have a "sense of urgency about getting [an extension] done."
Lamb not only saw those remarks, but he also reposted the quote on his X account while adding an "lol." to sum up his thoughts on Jones' bewildering statement.
Jones attempted to rectify the situation three days later, when he said Lamb is missed at training camp and stating that he "didn't know" why he said there wasn't any urgency in locking up Dallas' best wideout in a generation to a long-term deal.
The only thing that can mend this relationship is getting a blockbuster contract finalized. If Dallas doesn't come to terms with Lamb soon, it may negatively impact a campaign that the team can't afford to botch.
Winner: QB Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
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The Chicago Bears may have found a gem in No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams.
Although the 22-year-old didn't suit up for Chicago's Hall of Fame victory over the Houston Texans, he made an excellent debut on Saturday. He started under center and led the Bears on two strong drives to kick off what became a 33-6 thrashing of the Buffalo Bills.
Williams' stat line of four completions on seven passing attempts for 95 yards may not jump off the page, but it's worth noting that two of the incompletions he is credited with were a result of drops. He took his team into the red zone on both series, both of which resulted in points on the board.
More importantly, the USC product looked comfortable, calm and collected in a relatively big moment for a young player. He made strong reads, looked sharp rolling out on bootlegs and had coaches and teammates raving about his play.
Chicago head coach Matt Eberflus wasn't surprised by this development and told reporters that Williams has been putting in the work all offseason and is now seeing it start to pay off.
"It's the fruits of his labor," he said. "He's been working his tail off in practices and even before that, all through the summer. It's good to be able to say that hey, all this drill work, all the things I've been doing, it's paying off and I can see the improvements."
Advanced stats also help paint the picture of how great Williams was in his first exhibition contest.
Warren Sharp revealed that he had the most efficient outing of not just the rookie quarterback class but also of all 58 of the signal-callers who dropped back at least seven times during Week 1 of the preseason.
It's too early to say for certain, but the Bears seem well on their way to employing a legitimate franchise quarterback for the first time in decades.
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