The Biggest Winners and Losers from 2025 NFL Training Camps

Do you feel it? That electricity in the air? The crispness?

No, it’s not fall yet. Don’t we all wish—the summer of 2025 is on pace to be one of the top-five hottest in history. The 2025 NFL preseason has begun, the first full slate of exhibition games is right around the corner and before you know it the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys will be kicking off the regular season on September 4.

Hopefully by then it won’t be 146 degrees outside.

It’s a time of hope and enthusiasm for all 32 NFL teams and their fans, and that hope is reflected in training camp reports. Show this writer 10 camp reports, and he’ll show you nine glowing ones. Rookies are standing out. Youngsters are breaking out. Joe Flacco looks like Joe Montana.

OK, that last one may have been heat-induced.

The reality though is that not everything is sunshine and puppies. Some young players are having a tough go of it in camp. Other players have gone down with injury. And more than one team has a contract impasse with a star player looming over it like a dark cloud.

“Star” player? Get it? Ha! I kill me!

Training camp reports should all come with a side of a grain of salt—looking awesome in July guarantees nothing in November. But there is something to be gleaned from these reports, be they positive or negative.

Ready for some gleaning? We’ll do it inside—with the A/C set on “turbo blast.”

Winner: QB Drake Maye, New England Patriots

AP Photo/Charles Krupa

Some of the shine of Drake Maye’s training camp came off when the second-year pro threw a pair of interceptions during a scrimmage Friday. But Maye also led three scoring drives in the practice, and the interceptions were his first of camp.

Those struggles underscore that no player is going to have a perfect camp—but Maye has drawn consistent praise in camp, both for the accuracy of his throws and the athleticism he has shown with his legs.

While speaking to reporters, Maye said that he is trying to combine the two. That when he does decide to scramble, he’s still keeping his eyes downfield and looking for open receivers.

“I think just kind of remaining a passer longer when I scramble, I think that’s big. I’m kind of getting outside the pocket, remaining a passer longer, hoping for some big plays, scramble plays. I feel like I had good times last year where I had some guys deep that I may have missed them or took off running instead. So, just trying to remain a passer and just keep trying to work on footwork. I think that’s the big thing. New offense, new play actions, new concepts to try to time it up and get a good group.”

Maye showed some flashes as a rookie playing for a bad team with a porous offensive line and a less-than imposing group of receivers. In the offseason, the team took major steps to address both of those deficiencies and put Maye in position to take a major step forward in his second season.

So far, so good.

Loser QB J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings

AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn

The Minnesota Vikings made J.J. McCarthy a top-10 pick in the 2024 draft and appeared willing to hand him the keys to the offense as a rookie. A knee injury ended McCarthy’s inaugural campaign before it began, but the Vikings have once again entrusted him to lead the offense, allowing 2024 starter Sam Darnold to depart in free agency.

So far in camp, that McCarthy-led offense has struggled—so much so that per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, head coach Kevin O’ Connell made a point of saying, “The sky has not fallen, so it's all good."

For his part. McCarthy acknowledged the struggles, but he also said he’s learning from them as he continues to shake off the rust of last year’s lost campaign.

“When the periods don't go your way," he said, "you're always asking why. It's never a loss, and you're always learning from it, good or bad, but especially those periods where they really get you. I feel like that's where we can learn the most about ourselves in our offense and identity."

Star wide receiver Justin Jefferson preached patience.

"You definitely have to have patience," Jefferson said. "He's pretty much a rookie. Last year pretty much doesn't count for him. He's still new to the scheme, new to coming out here and throwing to these different receivers. So, you have to have that patience.”

It’s hardly time to press the panic button, and we have seen O’ Connell coax solid play from a number of different quarterbacks.

But after winning 14 games last year, the Vikings have lofty expectations in 2025. And those expectations ratchet up the pressure on McCarthy to be a quick study.

Winner: WR/CB Travis Hunter, Jacksonville Jaguars

AP Photo/John Raoux

There isn’t a rookie in training camps this year generating more enthusiasm and curiosity than Travis Hunter of the Jacksonville Jaguars. The second overall pick in April’s draft played both ways in college, and fans and pundits alike have been waiting to see what head coach Liam Coen has in store for the reigning Heisman Trophy winner.

Over the summer, Hunter has seen more reps at wide receiver than at cornerback. But in last week’s scrimmage, Hunter actually few a few more snaps (21) than on offense (17).

Coen told reporters that Hunter continues to impress the coaching staff.

"I thought it was great. We got him the work that we wanted to get with him on offense early on and then able to get him on defense and get him enough reps. That was what we were hoping to do tonight in terms of just get him on both sides of the ball, quality work. I know he (didn't) get much (action at cornerback) because the (first-team) D-line was getting a good rush, so it was a little hard to see. I thought when he had the ball in his hands (on offense) and he operated, he operated at a high level."

Frankly, we may not know exactly what the Jaguars have in store for Hunter until the regular season starts, and mastering one position in the NFL is hard enough—let alone two.

But the Jaguars seem to be content to allow Hunter to continue playing significant snaps on both offense and defense.

If that carries over into games that count, Hunter will be the first player in well over half a century to do so.

Loser: WR Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers

AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin

Not a lot went right for the San Francisco 49ers last year, but the play of fifth-year wide receiver Jauan Jennings was a bright spot. Had Jennings not missed a pair of games, Jennings would have logged his first 1,000-yard season. He finished 2024 with 77 catches for 975 yards and six touchdowns.

That productivity led Jennings to ask for a new contract this summer, But the 28-year-old was there for the start of 49ers camp. With Brandon Aiyuk working his way back from a season-ending injury, Jennings appeared to be on track to open the regular season as San Francisco’s No. 1 receiver.

But Jennings missed much of OTAs with a calf injury, and now he has re-aggravated it. While addressing the media, fullback Kyle Juszczyk admitted that Jennings is missed on the practice field.

"He wants to play. Jauan is a football player and I think that's the biggest compliment you can give anybody in this building is to say they're just a football player. Jauan is a guy that we all feed off of his energy, his physicality, his ability to get open, make big plays when we need him. Jauan is one of us and we love him. We hope he gets whatever he deserves and then we can keep cruising forward with him."

With Aiyuk iffy at best for the beginning of the regular season, the last thing the 49ers need is for Jennings to be dealing with an injury that just won’t go away.

And it’s not easy to justify a fat raise if you can’t get on the field.

Winner: WR Keon Coleman, Buffalo Bills

AP Photo/Adrian Kraus

On some level, Keon Coleman’s second training camp with the Buffalo Bills has been a microcosm of his rookie season—something of a roller-coaster.

Per The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia. Coleman was erratic in the early stages of camp, struggling with the drops that plagued him as a rookie.

However, as camp has progressed, Coleman has begun to stand out more. In the team’s “Blue and Red” practice in front of fans, Coleman overcame a pair of early drops to be the biggest standout among Buffalo’s wide receivers. It’s the latest in a steady drumbeat of positive reports after those early struggles.

Bucky Brooks of NFL.com recently highlighted Coleman as a player who could be primed for a breakout in 2025.

“Josh Allen’s handpicked WR1 looks poised to make a major leap in his second season. Coleman’s superior size (6’4”, 215 pounds) and superb ball skills should help him take advantage of favorable matchups in the red zone. The sophomore should also see his numbers explode with Allen throwing the ball his way to exploit the coverage tilted in Khalil Shakir’s direction following Shakir's own breakout campaign in 2024. As opponents attempt to neutralize the reigning MVP and the NFL’s most potent offense with various coverages designed to eliminate the deep ball, Coleman could shine as the cheat code on the perimeter.”

Now, the Bills may need that breakout more than ever—Shakir just went down with a high-ankle sprain, leaving his status for Week 1 in jeopardy. That first game of the season is a Sunday night showdown with the Baltimore Ravens—a contest that could be a tone-setter for Buffalo’s season.

Loser: Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys

AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

There is no way to mention training camp losers without bringing up the Dallas Cowboys—and the biggest loser of them all in Big D is the team’s 82-year-old owner.

Jerry Jones has long had a reputation for protracted contract negotiations with star players, but talks with young edge-rusher Micah Parsons have deteriorated to the point that Parsons has requested a trade.

"Unfortunately I no longer want to be here," Parsons wrote on social media, via ESPN’s Todd Archer. "I no longer want to be held to close door negotiations without my agent present. I no longer want shots taken at me for getting injured while laying it on the line for the organization our fans and my teammates. I no longer want narratives created and spread to the media about me. I had purposely stayed quiet in hopes of getting something done."

Those “closed-door negotiations” Parsons referenced involve a meeting between Jones and Parsons in March. The player characterized it as a conversation about leadership that turned to his contract. Jones said it was contract negotiations that Parsons agreed to before changing his mind.

As to Parsons’ agent? Jones told reporters he has no great ambition to speak to him.

"My experience has been the agent is not the one that solves the problems you have when you're executing what you said you would do in the contract," Jones said. "So, I like to deal directly with the player when it's of this nature."

Now, record-setting contracts have a way of soothing hurt feelings, and it’s worth noting that deals with the likes of guard Zack Martin, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and quarterback Dak Prescott eventually got done.

But this has become as contentious as it is public. It’s a massive shadow looming over a Cowboys team coming off a disappointing 2024 season.

And it all could have been easily avoided.

Winner: LB Carson Schwesinger, Cleveland Browns

AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki

Training camp for the Cleveland Browns has been very—Cleveland. The team’s best quarterback (arguably) has a hamstring injury that could wipe out his preseason and cost him his roster spot. The Browns have already lost a cornerback to a season-ending Achilles injury.

But it hasn’t all been doom and gloom at the Factory of Sadness. After the sudden retirement of inside linebacker Jordan Hicks, the Browns badly needed someone to step into that void.

From all indications, second-round rookie Carson Schewisnger is more than up to the task.

The former UCLA standout has consistently impressed in camp, drawing praise from coaches and teammates alike.

"He's so good at remembering and then applying things as they occur," Browns linebacker coach Jason Tarver told reporters. "He'll surprise me and be like, coach, I remember we said this the second day. So, then he does it and that's cool. When he can stay in that process, that's really powerful because he learns so fast."

"I wouldn't even say he's a young guy, man," linebacker Jerome Baker said. "He's one of those guys that he comes in, he's a professional. He does things the right way. He takes his time. He understands it. He's going to have a long, successful career. And just for me, I'm just teaching [him] how to be a pro in any way I can help him. But I'll just say this he's more far along than a lot of rookies, so he's definitely good."

There’s a real chance that if Schwesinger keeps this up. He’ll open the regular season as not only a three-down starter but also the “green dot” defensive signal-caller.

And that in what’s shaping up to be another long season in Cleveland, Schwesinger will be a bright spot.

Winner: EDGE Abdul Carter, New York Giants

AP Photo/Adam Hunger

Expected another “Loser,” didn’t you? Do you even training camp, bro? Everyone is awesome this time of year!

Of course, New York Giants edge-rusher Abdul Carter was supposed to be awesome—a Giants team that already had Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux on the roster didn’t make the former Penn State standout the third overall pick in April’s draft because of his personality.

But Carter has consistently wreaked havoc on the practice field, drawing praise from offensive lineman Jon Runyan Jr. in the process.

“He's got fantastic bend, unreal quicks and speed,” Runyan told reporters. “Being out there, especially when he comes inside, that's not like his natural home, but when he gets in there, I think he'll be able to cause a lot of havoc in there on the inside when he goes against guards. And next thing you know, he's already around you. Being able to match that speed on the inside is something that you're not really used to when you're going against big guys that don't obviously move like that, that are more inclined to work bull rushes with their hands.”

The Giants have moved Carter around the formation, lining him up at edge-rusher, three-technique tackle and even inside linebacker.

Carter has been consistently dominant no matter where the Giants put him. And while Big Blue faces some big questions on offense, if the defense can find a way to get Burns, Thibodeaux and Carter all on the field at the same time…

Well, let’s just say that Jayden Daniels of the Commanders may need his scrambling ability in the season opener.