The NFL is back in full swing, and there’s a lot to follow. Here are the latest updates on training camp, including Cam Newton’s big day, Jalen Hurts’ connection with DeVonta Smith, and more.
The jalen hurts is a story about the Jalen Hurts-DeVonta Smith connection, which has been talked about a lot recently. Other stories include the Cam Newton’s big day and the Ravens’ soccer drill.
3:45 p.m. Eastern
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ESPN personnel
The first day of training camp for the 2021 NFL season began with lots of deep-ball throwing, rookies showcasing their skills, and quarterback rivalries heating up.
Can the Patriots’ Cam Newton and the Bears’ Andy Dalton fend off first-year quarterbacks Mac Jones and Justin Fields, respectively? Who will emerge victorious from the Saints’ quarterback duel between Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill? Will Teddy Bridgewater be able to beat over Drew Lock for the starting job in Denver? Only a few days into training camp, it’s much too early to say, but we’re getting our first views of the head-to-head contests.
Even though it’s just August, we’ve already seen offensive focus on stretching out their defenses. Today’s workouts produced a slew of highlight-reel deep balls, including one from Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts to rookie wideout DeVonta Smith. Smith wasn’t the only rookie who made a huge play on Thursday.
Here’s everything you need to know and watch from the league’s various camps:
Jump to the best of the day’s highlights: NFL Nation | Photos | Videos | Quotes
The most important NFL news of the day
According to reports, Rodgers has restructured his contract with the Packers.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, quarterback Aaron Rodgers has signed his revised contract with the Green Bay Packers.
Tretter, the NFLPA’s president, criticizes clubs’ usage of wristbands for unvaccinated players.
JC Tretter, president of the NFL Players Association, chastised NFL clubs for requiring unvaccinated players to wear wristbands, saying it a needless measure that publicly shames players. The Cleveland Browns center stated Thursday, “It’s a stupid notion.” “They claim that a distinguishing factor between vaccinated and unvaccinated athletes is required. We already have a distinct advantage. Players who have not been immunized must wear masks. No other professional sports league employs scarlet markings, helmet decals, or wristbands since they know it’s unnecessary because the teams already know who’s vaccinated and who isn’t.”
Wilson signs a rookie contract with the Jets after skipping the first two days of practice.
It took longer than anticipated, but quarterback Zach Wilson and the New York Jets reached an agreement on his rookie deal on Thursday. The first-round selection and presumed starter will sign a four-year, $35.15 million contract — a slotted deal that is fully guaranteed — after missing two days of practice due to contract wording wrangling. A $22.9 million signing bonus is included, as well as a fifth-year club option, which is customary for all first-round selections.
The February robbery has left Ravens CB Smith terrified.
Since his family was robbed at gunpoint in February, Baltimore Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. “It truly makes my heart beat to this day going into the shop and being around anybody with a mask or hood on,” Smith said after Thursday’s practice. “It was a frightening scenario,” says the narrator.
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Today’s sightings by NFL Nation’s reporters
Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley was on the field for the entirety of the opening day of training camp on Thursday, which was a surprise given that he underwent offseason surgery and did not engage in on-field work during the team’s minicamp earlier this month. He looked fluid going in and out of routes, and he looked a lot like the guy who is anticipated to take over as the team’s No. 1 receiver from Julio Jones. “We’ll bring him along,” Falcons coach Arthur Smith said after he didn’t do everything on Thursday. Michael Rothstein is a writer and producer.
Saquon Barkley, the Giants’ top running back, worked with trainers on the back field as the rest of his teammates practiced. He was sprinting, cutting, receiving passes, and running routes. Sprints at top speed! Barkley seemed to be in excellent shape, although from afar. Even so, it was the first time since injuring his knee that he was out in public doing such things. Despite beginning the summer on the PUP list, it’s at least a positive indication. Maybe you’ll be able to join a practice in a few weeks? Jordan Raanan is a writer.
When Rashaad Penny took a handoff and broke into the second level before speeding past the rest of the defense, it was one of the highlights of the Seahawks’ second session of training camp. Following that, Chris Carson pulled off a long run of his own. The Seahawks are looking for a one-two punch in the backfield this season, something they’ve only seen in small doses during Penny’s three injury-plagued seasons. Carson is the undisputed starter, but coach Pete Carroll said this is Penny’s finest performance since Seattle selected him 27th overall in 2018. Brady Henderson’s quote
Matthew Stafford, the Rams’ new quarterback, is having an immediate impact on his new colleagues. Fifth-year receiver Cooper Kupp went so far as to label one of Stafford’s passes “disgusting” after Day 2 of training camp — and that’s a praise. “It was a really amazing move for him to no-look this throw down the field [to Robert Woods],” Kupp said. Stafford started off team work with a spectacular deep ball down the sideline to receiver DeSean Jackson, then escaped pressure in the pocket to find Kupp over the middle for the second straight session. “We may have very excellent coverage, and he’ll throw a receiver open,” cornerback Jalen Ramsey said. Lindsey Thiry (Lindsey Thiry)
In Thursday’s practice, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase couldn’t get the deep ball straight. Chase had CB Chidobe Awuzie beat on one rep, but he underthrew the ball. Awuzie had ample time to intercept the pass. Chase was wide open on a post route on another pass. Burrow hit a nice pitch, but Chase couldn’t catch it. – Ben Little
Coach Kliff Kingsbury said three starting offensive linemen, center Rodney Hudson, left guard Justin Pugh, and right tackle Kelvin Beachum, as well as receivers Andy Isabella and KeeSean Johnson, were all out due to the COVID-19 protocol. Aside from Hudson’s expected homecoming date of Aug. 2, Kingsbury had no idea when they’d be returning. It’s a “bonus” for players to test positive this early in training camp, according to Kingsbury, since they won’t have to be tested again for three months. Josh Weinfuss (@JoshWeinfuss)
During Thursday’s practice, Taysom Hill made his first start as New Orleans’ starting quarterback of training camp. Jameis Winston, on the other hand, drew more attention with a productive day that featured a long pass to receiver Deonte Harris and a mix of short and intermediate passes. He displayed better rhythm, timing, and patience this time around than he did last summer in a limited sample size. Triplett, Mike
If Thursday’s practice had been a full-contact session, Chris Jones would have gotten a sack of Patrick Mahomes, and it occurred from his new position at defensive end. Jones, who has led the Chiefs in sacks each of the previous three seasons while playing mainly from the inside, said, “I feel comfortable rushing from the edge.” Jones claimed he spent more time practicing yoga and Pilates in the offseason to improve his flexibility. “Taking the curve from [the inside] is a bit different than [coming] from the outside,” he said. Adam Teicher’s remark
End for the 49ers Although Nick Bosa has yet to participate in team or one-on-one pass-rush drills, his return to the field in any form is noteworthy. For the time being, Bosa will be reintroduced gradually. After suffering an ACL injury in Week 2 of last season, he missed all but five quarters, but he’s on pace to play Week 1 against Detroit and is already doing individual work. Nick Wagoner is a writer.
For the Patriots, Cam Newton continues to get the most repetitions as quarterback, followed by Mac Jones. Newton was 9-of-14 in full-speed 11-on-11 or 7-on-7 drills, while Jones was 7-of-13. Newton ended his practice with a bang, throwing back-to-back touchdown touchdowns to tight end Hunter Henry. — Reiss, Mike
In 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 practice, rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence only had three incompletions, one of which was a drop. On Thursday, he practiced mostly with the first team after working primarily with the backups on Wednesday, and he completed long throws to Laviska Shenault Jr. and Marvin Jones Jr. (for a touchdown). Michael DiRocco’s remark
Andy Dalton of the Bears practiced like a quarterback in Year 11. On the second day of training camp, Justin Fields resembled every NFL rookie quarterback. Dalton’s passes were mostly accurate, including a long touchdown pass to Marquise Goodwin on the opening play of 7-on-7. Fields had a handful of crisp completions, but the first-round selection battled with accuracy at times throughout the practice. Nick Foles, Chicago’s third-string quarterback, had a lot of success against the Bears’ third-string defense. Dickerson, Jeff
On the first play of 7-on-7 drills, Jeremy Chinn demonstrated why the Panthers are bullish on him making the move from outside linebacker to safety by intercepting a Sam Darnold ball. “I think right now we feel comfortable about the idea of putting him back there, having him impact our pass defense a little more, and then moving him up by call or by game plan,” coach Matt Rhule said. David Newton is an author.
Ryan Kelly, the starting center, departed practice early on Thursday after injuring his elbow during 11-on-11 drills. Kelly grabbed his left elbow right away and watched the remainder of practice with it tightly bandaged. Danny Pinter, a second-year player, took Kelly’s position. The Colts are already without starting left tackle Eric Fisher, who is sidelined with a ruptured Achilles tendon. Mike Wells’ remark
The Broncos’ first-team defense may have a major say in who wins the job. Quarterbacks Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater will be scrutinized on a daily basis, but the first two days of camp revealed the Broncos’ first-team defense could have a significant say in who wins the job. Lock, for example, was shut out by the first-team defense in a red zone session on Thursday. He threw three touchdown passes later in practice against a different group in extra red zone work. While Bridgewater has been more steady in the early going — two incompletions in two days in complete 11-on-11 practice — the quarterback who best overcomes the Broncos’ own defense, as well as the preseason opponents, will likely earn the job. Legwold, Jeff
The greatest highlight of the Ravens’ second day of training camp was backup quarterback Tyler Huntley’s 70-yard touchdown throw to Jaylon Moore, who was double-covered at the time. Baltimore’s offensive has remained aggressive despite the absence of Lamar Jackson because to COVID-19. The Ravens have expressed a desire to throw deep more coming season, and they’ve already made numerous downfield passes in training camp. Jamison Hensley (Jamison Hensley)
On Thursday, spectators at Heinz Field erupted in applause for a wide receiver wearing the No. 84 jersey. During the Steelers’ second open training camp session, though, it wasn’t Antonio Brown who made the spectacular receptions. Instead, it was Rico Bussey, a rookie. Bussey juggled a long ball from Dwayne Haskins Jr. on the sideline and pulled it down over Justin Layne during an 11-on-11 passing practice. He made a diving catch on a Josh Dobbs throw a few plays later, lying out to snag it over Stephen Denmark on the opposite side of the field. To cap off his workout, he hauled in a wide-open touchdown pass from Haskins to finish the two-minute drill. — Brooke Pryor is an actress who plays Brooke Pryor.
Washington is hoping that rookie receiver Dyami Brown, who has been a big-play threat in practice the last two days, will continue to grow. On Thursday, he beat fellow rookie corner Benjamin St-Juste on a long out-and-up and established plenty of space before grabbing a little underthrown ball over the shoulder. Brown’s speed is obvious, but he’s also shown that he can run slants, which the club like since it deems him brave. ‘John Keim’
In individual pass-rush drills on Thursday, Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby was having his way with first-round draft pick Alex Leatherwood, and he pulled the No. 17 overall pick to the side to offer support and advice on how the right tackle might handle the myriad of rushes Crosby was beating him with. Gutierrez, Paul
Because of his latissimus issue, Dak Prescott did not practice on Thursday, but that does not mean he was idle. During his solo practice time, the Dallas quarterback went through all of the footwork exercises, worked on handoffs to the running backs, and then went through a lengthy sequence of strength training. Todd Archer is a writer.
During the offseason, the Titans’ rebuilt secondary has received a lot of attention. Breon Borders is a carryover from last season, when he started five games, and he’s off to a good start in camp. He had a huge one-on-one pass breakup with Racey McMath, as well as a number of others during 7-on-7 and team periods. Turron Davenport (Turron Davenport)
Video highlights from the NFL
Wide receivers grabbing soccer balls is something I haven’t seen before at Ravens training camp. twitter.com/UJ5bzcxNYl
July 29, 2021 — Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley)
@ohthatsNajee22 pic.twitter.com/XTlyp5Bh69 @ohthatsNajee22
July 29, 2021 — Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers)
@ESanders 10 | @JoshAllenQB | @Bease11 pic.twitter.com/p6ZakdSk6c pic.twitter.com/p6ZakdSk6c pic.twitter.com/p6ZakdSk6c pic.twitter.com/p6ZakdSk6c pic.twitter.com/
July 29, 2021 — Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills)
Our fans have given the No. 1 overall draft selection a warm welcome! #DUUUVAL @Dream Finders pic.twitter.com/X9Q7yg8mqT
— July 29, 2021 (@Jaguars) #DUUUVAL
DeVonta Smith, a rookie, is leading Eagles receiving workouts. pic.twitter.com/7GkDcnRbIQ
July 29, 2021 — Tim McManus (@Tim McManus)
pic.twitter.com/P6noP45TuX WR1 pic.twitter.com/P6noP45TuX
July 29, 2021 — Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons)
Donuts make everything better in the morning. @PackersCamp | @Came Along Way pic.twitter.com/ol0P9i8lnd
July 29, 2021 — Green Bay Packers (@packers)
This is an illustration of why the #Titans DLine, particularly Jeffery Simmons, is subjected to a high number of tipped passes at the line of scrimmage. pic.twitter.com/I1qZ2lPngV
July 29, 2021 — TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport NFL)
Randall Cobb’s return makes Aaron Rodgers pleased, but he’s not the only one. Consider Davante Adams. pic.twitter.com/v9rNzf7prI
July 29, 2021 — Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky)
From the practice grounds of the @AlabamaFTBL to the beaches of South Florida… pic.twitter.com/mI2AKNmSbs @Tua & @D1 JW
— July 29, 2021, Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins)
Dak Prescott scores on the ground. pic.twitter.com/C1W6FXWzPc
July 29, 2021 — Todd Archer (@toddarcher)
Dyami’s Deep Threat pic.twitter.com/cjTZfjpv1i
— July 29, 2021, Washington Football Team (@WashingtonNFL)
It’s just a piece of beauty. @ChaseClaypool | @ BigBen7 pic.twitter.com/QKw76rta4K
July 29, 2021 — Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers)
@cj wentz @ZachPascal6 pic.twitter.com/3bPAWl5WbQ @ZachPascal6 pic.twitter.com/3bPAWl5WbQ
July 29, 2021 — Indianapolis Colts (@Colts)
The best images from the NFL
RKK, Bru, Matty P, and BB. photo by DiJGrhOn9S on Twitter.
July 29, 2021 — New England Patriots (@Patriots)
It’s great to be back https://twitter.com/km66ONFZiF
July 29, 2021 — Austin Ekeler (@AustinEkeler)
@BB HulkSmash | #PatsCamp pic.twitter.com/oiyvxWXmy5 James White isn’t the only Patriots running back with Sweet Feet
July 29, 2021 — New England Patriots (@Patriots)
Bakhtiari is currently wearing Kelly’s jersey. 79 isn’t quite right for him. pic.twitter.com/zfvDxCvzxy
July 29, 2021 — Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky)
Today’s NFL quotes
“That, I believe, is a significant factor. Without Aaron [Rodgers], I don’t believe we would be chasing him. We did it because it was a really significant thing for Aaron.” Packers GM Brian Gutekunst explains why the club traded for Randall Cobb, a wide receiver. “That’s the kind of person you need on your team. It’s the first day, so everyone is pumped up, but Day 10 and 11 may be a little less so. Jamaal, on the other hand, is going to be the same every day. He’ll put a grin on your face no matter what when he gets out there, and we need that kind of person out here.” D’Andre Swift, Lions running back, discusses Jamaal Williams’ enthusiasm in practice. “Never.” Cardinals A.J. Green on the last time he wasn’t WR1 (in Arizona, DeAndre Hopkins will line up opposite Green) “To be honest, I see immediate connection between them. They were accustomed to playing with each other at Alabama, and they also did a lot of offseason training together.” Eagles RB Miles Sanders on QB Jalen Hurts and WR DeVonta Smith’s early connection
From across the league, the best of the rest
Jalen Hurts just fired a 40-yard bomb down the left sideline that landed perfectly for DeVonta Smith, who had just blasted by two defenders for the touchdown.
July 29, 2021 — Tim McManus (@Tim McManus)
When asked about the Ravens receivers receiving soccer balls in practice, John Harbaugh said, “It has to do with hand placement when it comes to catching and eyes, as well as completing receptions. It’s simply not quite the same as a football.”
Harbaugh did admit to being a fan of @TedLasso.
July 29, 2021 — Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley)
Thursday’s quarterback update:
*Andy Dalton had a serious expression on his face. The offensive is clearly in your control. How you’d expect a Year 11 quarterback to practice.
*Justin Fields isn’t quite as sharp. There are several inaccuracies. On Day 2, a rookie quarterback should look like this.
*Nick Foles shredded the #3 defense for the most part.
29 July 2021 — Jeff Dickerson (@DickersonESPN)
Rodgers to Adams for a 60-yard touchdown down the left sideline was the first true ‘Wow’ moment of training camp. Adams utilized his late-hands technique and managed to get the ball past Darnell Savage.
July 29, 2021 — Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky)
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