2026 NFL Training Camp Live Updates, Rumors and Highlights from August 3

The Detroit Lions may open the regular season without safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch. Joseph has been dealing with a lingering knee injury, while Branch suffered a ruptured Achilles and is expected to be out until December.

"Anything before that is a bonus," Lions coach Dan Campbell said of a December return for Branch in June, per ESPN's Eric Woodyard.

While neither Joseph nor Branch appears to be on the verge of returning, they're at least healthy enough to do some work at early Lions camp. According to The Athletic's Colton Pouncy, both safeties worked off to the side during Monday's practice.

The Los Angeles Rams have made a pair of blockbuster additions to their defense this offseason by trading for both Trent McDuffie and Myles Garrett. Now, the Rams are waiting to see if they'll get to add three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald to the mix as well.

Donald, who last played in 2023, is considering a move out of retirement and onto the playing field. On Monday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport told Good Morning Football that, while Donald hasn't made a decision, "it certainly seems like it's trending in the right direction."

According to Rapoport, Donald is transitioning to football training and wants to see if he can "go out and do it" before fully committing to a return. This meshes with the messaging we've recently heard from Rams head coach Sean McVay.

"If there's an arrow, it's trending upward," McVay said on Friday, per The Athletic's Nate Atkins.

Donald recorded eight sacks and 23 quarterback hits in 2023. If he can add a fraction of that to an L.A. pass rush that features Garrett and Byron Young, the Rams could have the scariest defensive front in the league.

The Cincinnati Bengals defense has been a liability in recent seasons. However, Cincinnati took an aggressive approach to addressing that side of the ball in the early offseason.

The Bengals signed Jonathan Allen and Boye Mafe before trading for Dexter Lawrence II and drafting Cashius Howell and Tacario Davis. The new-look unit has been establishing its physical presence in early camp.

"Today felt like going against the 2016 New England defense," center Ted Karras said on Saturday, per The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. "This is about as grown-man of a team as I've ever been a part of."

The Bengals are looking to get back to the postseason for the first time since 2022. Dramatically improving a defense that ranked 31st overall and 30th in points allowed last season would certainly help.

Last week, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson and Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs were not practicing amid "conversations" about new contracts.

On Monday, Gibbs briefly spoke with reporters and said that "it's not about that" when asked if he needed a new contract to practice, though he also admitted that he doesn't know when he'll be on the field next.

"Only time will tell," Gibbs said, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

Gibbs and Robinson were both first-round draft picks in 2023 and have become centerpieces of their respective offenses. Gibbs has racked up 5,029 scrimmage yards and 49 touchdowns in his three seasons with Detroit and is likely looking to surpass the $20.6 million annual value on Saquon Barkley's market-leading contract.

The Hall of Fame Game rarely involves regular starters since, for the teams involved, it is an extra exhibition tacked onto the preseason. Panthers fans shouldn't expect to see Bryce Young taking the field against Arizona on Thursday.

Anyone interested in Carolina's backup situation, however, will get a look at Kenny Pickett. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the 2022 first-round pick will start against the Cardinals on Thursday.

The Pittsburgh Steelers made Pickett the 20th overall pick in 2022. He spent two seasons in Pittsburgh before he was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles. He was traded to the Cleveland Browns and then to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2025.

Pickett has started 27 games in his four seasons with a 78.2 quarterback rating. He's expected to be Young's primary backup in 2026, though he could face preseason pressure from undrafted free agent Haynes King.

Safety Coby Bryant won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks last season. Early in free agency, the Chicago Bears made him a big part of their plan to reshape last year's 29th-ranked defense.

Unfortunately, that plan may have hit a snag. According to Adam Hoge of CHGO Sports, Bryant suffered an apparent knee injury during Monday's practice:

Bryant entered the league as a 2022 fourth-round pick out of Cincinnati. He started 15 games for the Seahawks last season and signed a three-year, $40 million deal with Chicago in the spring.

Things are going to look a bit different under new Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy in 2026. That will extend to the preparation of quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who didn't appear in the preseason a year ago.

The Athletic's Michael Silver wrote on Monday that McCarthy wants Rodgers on the field for Pittsburgh's first two preseason games. While the 42-year-old quarterback doesn't seem thrilled about exhibition play, he's willing to comply for his former and new head coach.

"He (wants me out there for) 30 or 40 plays," Rodgers said, per Silver. "I said, 'Mike, if you want me to play, I'll play.' I'm not saying I want to do it. But if he wants me to, I will."

As is the case for many older veteran quarterbacks, Rodgers hasn't seen extensive preseason action in recent years. However, he's looking to rekindle the magic he and McCarthy once experienced with the Green Bay Packers. While Rodgers probably doesn't need the preseason reps at this point in his career, the extra preparation will be worth it if it leads to a hot start for the Steelers.

The Houston Texans made edge-defender Jadeveon Clowney the first overall pick in the 2014 draft, and the South Carolina product spent five seasons with the franchise before he was traded to the Seattle Seahawks.

Over the weekend, Clowney rejoined the Texans as a free agent.

Clowney worked out for the Cleveland Browns last week, and he likely had other options following an 8.5-sack 2025 campaign. However, he told Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle that returning to the Texans made the most sense.

"I felt like they got a good team and I can help contribute," Clowney said, per Alexander. "It was a really easy decision. It wasn't about the money."

Clowney was arguably the top edge-defender still available on the free-agent market. He'll now join a Houston defense that recorded 49 sacks and ranked first in yards allowed last season.

San Francisco 49ers edge-defender Nick Bosa is one of several stars who are making their way back from significant 2025 injuries. The star sack artist only appeared in three games before suffering a season-ending ACL tear.

The five-time Pro Bowler recently discussed his recovery with The MMQB's Albert Breer. In their conversation, Bosa noted that he's dealt with "a little tendinitis" in his right knee since high school, but the issue was alleviated with his last surgery.

Bosa also told Breer that he's lost some mass in his legs during his recovery, which actually improved his movement.

"This is a speed game, I'm a power rusher, but speed creates power, and the way you can move is everything," Bosa told Breer. "So I think there's something to, 'I move better when my legs aren't quite as massive.' I kind of have that feeling right now."

If Bosa can rapidly return to Pro Bowl form, it would be a boon for the 49ers, who recorded just 20 sacks as a team last season.