Latest updates from NFL training camp: Ravens' Marlon Humphrey giving Lamar Jackson fits
The NFL’s 2024 training camp is in full swing. ESPN’s NFL reporters will be found at each location throughout camp and will provide information on position battles, notable appearances from new faces, compelling quotes from coaches and players and updates on injuries and holdout situations.
We will have updates every day of camp to keep you informed on all the latest. Here’s what you need to know from camps across the league:
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What our NFL Nation reporters saw today
NFC EAST
Expectations are much higher for cornerback DaRon Bland after leading the league with nine interceptions and setting an NFL record with five returns for a touchdown last season. During team drills Friday, Bland broke quickly on a Dak Prescott pass, making a diving interception that had his teammates in awe.
“Last year, that first-year starter, when you have that type of production … now teams have the chance to study you, I’m excited,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “You talk about a guy that brings his lunch bucket every day and goes to work. Very detailed. He had a great offseason program, but I’m right there with you: I think it’s going to be really cool.”— Todd Archer
(Last update: July 26)
Rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers hasn’t even played a game and already he’s calling his own number. This came about because coach Brian Daboll asked what play the young receiver preferred during a two-minute drill at Giants practice on Friday.
“I said, ‘Well, let’s throw a go-ball,'” Nabers said. It didn’t matter if there was going to be press coverage. Nabers told quarterback Daniel Jones he should “just throw it up.”
Well, Jones did just that. He fired a strike deep down the right sideline that Nabers hauled in for a monster gain. Two plays later, Jones ran in a touchdown to salvage an otherwise rough day. He missed several other downfield throws, including one behind Nabers, coming across the field, and another where Wan’Dale Robinson was racing down the right sideline alone.
On a positive note, at least the Giants are listening to Nabers and throwing downfield with Jones, something they didn’t do last season. — Jordan Raanan
(Last update: July 26)
Quarterback Jalen Hurts has been highly efficient through three training camp practices. He has yet to throw an interception and has been largely accurate and on time with his throws. “Jalen has been really smooth the first couple days,” said offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. “He’s been excellent, just his operation. You can tell he’s just in command, he’s in control.” The highlight Saturday was a deep pass down the left seam from Hurts to receiver DeVonta Smith, who elevated to make the catch over corner Kelee Ringo. — Tim McManus
(Last update: July 27)
Washington coach Dan Quinn said cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr., a 2023 first-round pick, has added 15 pounds since last year. He’s now listed at 173 pounds. Forbes said in the spring he focused on strength training, wanting to add muscle after a disappointing rookie season.
But, more than his size, he was hurt by not playing with the same level of confidence as he did at Mississippi State — and having his inconsistent technique hinder his performance. During camp, though, Forbes has played faster and more aggressively. He said defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr.’s system allows for more freedom by cutting down responsibilities. That, in turn, helps Forbes play faster.
He has worked often versus veteran receiver Terry McLaurin. On Thursday, Forbes broke up two passes thrown to McLaurin because of aggressive tight coverage.
“They let me play my game,” Forbes said. “Just make the plays that come towards me. As long as I’m trying to make a play on the ball, it will be all right.” — John Keim
(Last update: July 26)
NFC NORTH
The root of Chicago’s pre-snap penalties differed from Friday to Saturday’s practice. During the team’s first day in pads, the issues were caused by the offense experimenting with different cadences. On Saturday, the problems for the offense could be attributed to the Bears defense. Defensive tackle Andrew Billings baited the offense into jumping before the snap by yelling “MOVE!,” which led to multiple false starts.
Turnovers were a problem as well as Caleb Williams threw back-to-back interceptions in 7-on-7 while backups Micah Baskerville and Josh Blackwell came away with picks. The first team offense (sans DJ Moore and Keenan Allen, who were not on the field during the two-minute drill) wasn’t able to convert due to the constant pressure Williams was under. Defensive end Montez Sweat was thrown out of the drill after making contact with Williams’ arm, which coach Matt Eberflus emphasized to the Pro Bowl edge rusher cannot happen.
While the Bears defense has controlled the tempo of most practices within the first week of training camp, Eberflus is not ready to say this unit has taken its game to the next level. “Not really yet,” Eberflus said. “People say top five. What does that really mean? What does it mean? We’re at the end of the year and you’re telling me we are top five? How do you know that? So, to me it’s about what we do on the grass. People can say all that, but to me it doesn’t mean anything. That’s not a hill of beans to me. It’s about what we do out there and how we execute as a group.” — Courtney Cronin
(Last update: July 27)
Lions WR Jameson Williams and DB Brian Branch returned to Saturday’s practice after receiving an excused absence on Friday to attend the funeral of their former Alabama teammate Khyree Jackson, who died in a car crash on July 6th. Branch described the opportunity to lend support as being bigger than football.
#Lions DB Brian Branch missed yesterday’s practice to attend the funeral for his former teammate Khyree Jackson. He described it as bigger than football. pic.twitter.com/NjKd9iieKJ
— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) July 27, 2024
During practice, things got heated between offensive tackle Dan Skipper and linebacker Derrick Barnes during a full team drill where they were involved in an aggressive skirmish on a day when the intensity ramped up with more team drills pitting the offense versus the defense. Linebacker Alex Anzalone rushed over to break up the action. Barnes has been involved in a few tussles throughout the week.
“I told everybody yesterday that this year is personal for me so I ain’t with all the BS,” Barnes said. “But at the end of the day it is all love, it’s still my teammates and we’re gonna pick each other up. That’s how it is, but it’s football.” — Eric Woodyard
(Last update: July 27)
Welcome to practice No. 5 (or No. 1 with Jordan Love and No. 1 with pads) pic.twitter.com/sgeOdzZjDK
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) July 27, 2024
No one was happier to have Jordan Love back on the field than receiver Christian Watson. On Love’s first day of practice following his “hold-in” while awaiting a new contract, the reason was on full display. During a simulated two-minute drill, Love hit Watson in stride on a deep ball for a 47-yard gain to set up a touchdown.
“Obviously, it’s a blessing to begin with, just to be able to have [No.] 10 back out there on the field and get back in that rhythm as an offense, have all the pieces out there,” Watson said. “It feels great just to have him out there and start back and building something special.”
Love appeared to handle the full QB1 workload with Sean Clifford returning to the backup role. It took Love a bit to get going after sitting out the first four practices of training camp. Love finished 11-for-20 passing but that was after a 1-for-8 start with an interception by Quay Walker. — Rob Demovsky
(Last update: July 27)
The Vikings will be without cornerback Shaquill Griffin (left leg soft-tissue injury) for a few days, and perhaps as long as a week, coach Kevin O’Connell said Saturday. His absence will necessitate a roster addition of some kind, O’Connell said, and the team is talking through whether it needs to add a veteran or simply a player who can ensure roster balance.
“Do we need to potentially add to that room?” O’Connell said. “Just knowing the kind of camp I want to have just from a calendar of work standpoint, I do think we’re going to need to add at that position, just to makes sure that we have enough headcount in that room to handle the rep load. But at the same time, there could be some impact players out there that might be interested in joining our team and that’s what [general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah] and his staff are working through right now.”
Among the veteran cornerbacks available are Stephon Gilmore, Xavien Howard and Adoree’ Jackson. — Kevin Seifert
(Last update: July 27)
NFC SOUTH
On the Falcons’ first day of real practice Friday, quarterback Kirk Cousins looked healthy and every bit worth his $100 million guaranteed price tag. The free agent signee went 15-of-16 in 11-on-11 drills, getting the ball to eight different receivers.
His most frequent pass catcher? Wide receiver Darnell Mooney, who Atlanta signed in the offseason from the Chicago Bears. Mooney caught five balls, while wide receiver Drake London, tight end Kyle Pitts and running back Tyler Allgeier all caught two.
Meanwhile, rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. took all of the snaps with the second team, despite coach Raheem Morris saying Thursday that he would split reps with Taylor Heinicke. Penix showed off his elite arm talent, zipping a back-shoulder throw to wide receiver Rondale Moore on a completion and nearly finding Moore with a 55-yard dart down the sideline. Moore bobbled the latter ball and it fell incomplete. — Marc Raimondi
(Last update: July 26)
There’s absolutely no quarterback controversy in Carolina, but if you wanted to start one Saturday would have been a good day. Veteran backup Andy Dalton had an outstanding practice that included consecutive pinpoint touchdowns to Terrace Marshall Jr. and Mike Strachan in the left corner of the end zone during a red zone drill.
Starter Bryce Young got off to a slow start, throwing his first interception in team drills since camp began and having another knocked down by lineman Derrick Brown. He bounced back with some nice throws, including two touchdowns to 2023 second-round pick Jonathan Mingo, the first receiver coach Dave Canales mentioned when asked about the depth behind Diontae Johnson and Xavier Legette. Mingo may be an early front-runner for offensive MVP of camp after a rookie season in which he had a success rate of 32.9% on his 85 targets. — David Newton
(Last update: July 27)
Marshon Lattimore and Kendre Miller missed practice again on Saturday, the last practice before the Saints get the pads on. Rookie cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry took Lattimore’s place with the first-team defense for the second straight day.
Dennis Allen said these reps are extremely valuable for Kool-Aid McKinstry. “He’s a rookie who missed all of spring. He’s 1000 reps behind. Good thing for him is he’s extremely smart. … He’ll be a quick study.”
— Katherine Terrell (@Kat_Terrell) July 27, 2024
It was a sharp day for the offense and multiple quarterbacks had candidates for the play of the day. Derek Carr connected for a 20-yard gain to speedy receiver Rashid Shaheed on a crossing route. Carr had time to throw thanks to Foster Moreau‘s block of Cameron Jordan. Shaheed showed off his speed again with a reverse on the next play.
Rookie Spencer Rattler had one of his best practices so far, connecting with undrafted rookie free agent wideout Mason Tipton for a touchdown pass of about 40 yards. Wide receiver Chris Olave ran to the end zone to give Tipton a chest bump in congratulations.
Other standouts in practice were linebacker Pete Werner and running back Jordan Mims. — Katherine Terrell
(Last update: July 27)
Rookie wide receiver Jalen McMillan said one of his biggest goals for training camp is to “make Baker [Mayfield] trust me with everything in his body.”
That trust is starting to grow, as Mayfield connected with McMillan on Friday with a leaping touchdown grab in the corner of the end zone during red zone drills and then a pass to cap off a two-minute drill.
Mayfield said, “My trust is going to continue to grow as long as he keeps doing the right things, and he is. I think he’s got the right attitude. He brings a lot of juice to that room.” — Jenna Laine
(Last update: July 26)
NFC WEST
The Cardinals’ receiving options are starting to come into focus, and the early indication is that quarterback Kyler Murray will have a plethora of weapons. The most obvious is No. 4 pick Marvin Harrison Jr., but after Friday’s practice, it looks like receivers Zay Jones, Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch and tight ends Trey McBride and Elijah Higgins will all have roles in the passing game.
Harrison’s height was on display Friday. On one play during 11-on-11s, Murray scrambled to his right and his pass to Harrison sailed a bit high, but the rookie receiver used his 6-foot-3 frame to jump and reach the ball. Harrison’s height and ability to jump will give Murray more wiggle room on broken plays to heave it up to Harrison. Don’t be surprised if we see those plays turn into something this season. — Josh Weinfuss
(Last update: July 26)
The Rams’ wide receivers group stood out during practice on Saturday, including what head coach Sean McVay called “a great day” for 2021 second-round pick Tutu Atwell.
When asked about the receivers room now that the Rams have a healthy Cooper Kupp and a superstar in second-year receiver Puka Nacua, McVay was also quick to point out he’s liked what he’s seen from Demarcus Robinson and Atwell as well. “I feel really good about those four,” McVay said.
Earlier in the week, quarterback Matthew Stafford said it’s “a really competitive room, which makes it great.”
“It’s one thing to have continuity and it’s another thing to have continuity with a bunch of really good players so that’s a plus too,” Stafford said. “So excited to have all those guys back.” — Sarah Barshop
(Last update: July 27)
Safety is one of the few positions on the 49ers roster with a fair amount of uncertainty after the offseason departure of veteran Tashaun Gipson and the ongoing recovery of Talanoa Hufanga, who is coming off a torn ACL in his right knee. But coach Kyle Shanahan has been encouraged by what he’s seen from that group in the opening days of camp, saying Saturday that he likes what he has in current starters Ji’ayir Brown and George Odum as well as the young depth behind them. Perhaps more important, though, is that Shanahan revealed the Niners and Hufanga are aiming to have him back in practice for the first time the week the 49ers practice with the New Orleans Saints in Irvine. The teams have practices slated for Aug. 15 and 16. — Nick Wagoner
(Last update: July 27)
The most interesting observation from Saturday’s Seahawks practice came after the final whistle, and it had nothing to do with football. Mike Macdonald spotted a group of young players heading inside in apparent defiance of previous instructions to sign autographs for fans in the time between when practice ends and meetings begin.
Macdonald wasn’t pleased, and he sternly let one undrafted rookie hear it.
“Mike does not play,” another player was overheard saying.
The incident was an example of what people within the Seahawks organization have cited as one of the differences between Macdonald, Pete Carroll and their respective assistants. There’s more attention to detail in the way Macdonald and the new staff teaches, and there’s a willingness to rebuke players that stands in sharp contrast to the more gentle, parental style in which Carroll strongly believed. — Brady Henderson
(Last update: July 27)
AFC EAST
The Bills’ quarterbacks managed to go almost three full days of training camp practices without an interception, but the streak came to an end just before the end of practice on Friday.
Josh Allen threw three interceptions on three straight pass plays during 11-on-11 drills. The first was intended for wide receiver Mack Hollins but was intercepted by Taylor Rapp on what appeared to be an overthrow. The next came on a deep pass to Marquez Valdes-Scantling. However, cornerback Christian Benford was right by him downfield (with a bit of grabbing between the two before the ball arrived) and picked off the pass. The last was taken away by cornerback Kaiir Elam on what appeared to be a miscommunication between Allen and a couple of receivers.
The interceptions weren’t representative of the entire day for Allen and the offense, but it was quite a note to end the team drills of practice as the Bills take their first day off at camp on Saturday. — Alaina Getzenberg
(Last update: July 26)
One day after he was limited at practice, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa did not practice at all — although he was present for the team’s second day of training camp. McDaniel called the quarterback’s situation “fluid” before Wednesday’s practice, but it’s unclear whether Tagovailoa will continue to hold in until an agreement is reached on a contract extension. Without him at the helm, the Dolphins’ offense has largely struggled in team drills with Mike White and Skylar Thompson taking a majority of the snaps. — Marcel Louis-Jacques
(Last update: July 25)
Rookie quarterback Drake Maye, the No. 3 pick, threw his first interception of training camp Friday. He called it a “rookie mistake” after OLB Matthew Judon capitalized, but it was his response to the miscue that stood out to teammates, such as veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett.
“Like a professional,” Brissett said of Maye. “He throws a pick and the next play he throws a completion. Those are the learning curves and the NFL moments you need out here. That’s what I told him: ‘That’s the game right there. That was your game today, and you went out there and won the day.'”
Maye also connected with second-round pick Ja’Lynn Polk on a deep pass, crediting Polk with a nice catch on a ball he felt he could have thrown better.
“You can’t ride the ups and downs. I can’t be too hard on myself. Sometimes I get hard on myself, especially throwing my first interception,” Maye said in his first remarks since camp started. “Just have to bounce back. It’s how you bounce back in this league. I’m starting to learn that. It’s a lot different in the game when it really matters, so that’s what practice is for.” — Mike Reiss
Drake Maye breaks through the assembled media and arrives at the post-practice interview podium. pic.twitter.com/2P1Taa4nMy
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) July 26, 2024
(Last update: July 26)
The Jets’ wide receiver depth is being tested early in camp. Starting slot receiver Xavier Gipson, who limped off the field Thursday, will miss a week or two with an undisclosed leg injury, coach Robert Saleh said Friday. Mike Williams, their marquee addition, will be on the physically unable to perform list for a few more weeks as he completes the final stage of knee rehab.
This leaves them with Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard and Malik Taylor as their top receivers, with third-round pick Malachi Corley poised to get more reps in the coming days. The Jets loved Corley so much they traded up, but he’s far from a finished product. Right now, his biggest challenge is refining his route running. “It’s getting there,” Saleh said. “But he has a long way to go.”
The trade rumors about Raiders receiver Davante Adams have been swirling for weeks. Chances are they won’t go away until the midseason trade deadline. — Rich Cimini
(Last update: July 26)
AFC NORTH
The only Ravens player who probably isn’t thrilled by Marlon Humphrey‘s return to form is quarterback Lamar Jackson. Humphrey has picked off Jackson three times in the NFL Most Valuable Player’s two practices in this year’s training camp.
On Saturday, Humphrey intercepted Jackson on a pass that went behind wide receiver Tylan Wallace and then picked off Jackson again on an errant throw. Humphrey, who had one interception in 10 games last season, has a total of four interceptions in the first week of camp.
“He’s moving super good,” Ravens caoch John Harbaugh said. “He looks great to me.”
It’s an important year for Humphrey. The Ravens drafted cornerback Nate Wiggins in the first round this year, and Humphrey’s cap number goes up to $25.1 million next year (which ranks only behind Jackson).
Humphrey said he dropped 10 pounds this offseason.
“He’s still moving really fast,” safety Kyle Hamilton said. “He’s one of the fastest guys on the team. I don’t think the Ravens are what the Ravens are right now without Marlon [Humphrey] the past eight years.” — Jamison Hensley
(Last update: July 27)
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was at practice but didn’t do any throwing. He had a mandated rest day on Friday after being a full participant the first two days, as he recovers from right wrist surgery that ended his 2023 season. That meant Jake Browning took the first-team reps.
He wasn’t the only one who got a day off. Defensive end Trey Hendrickson had a second straight rest day and Sam Hubbard also got a day off. Receiver Ja’Marr Chase remained a healthy scratch for his third straight practice amid the lack of a contract extension. — Ben Baby
(Last update: July 26)
Quarterback Deshaun Watson has yet to push the ball downfield in team drills but was sharp in 7-on-7 red zone work on Saturday. He finished completing six of nine passes, five of which went for scores. This included a short touchdown pass to tight end David Njoku, who practiced for the first time after sitting out the first two sessions because of an undisclosed injury.
It’s the third straight day Watson has thrown in team drills, something he didn’t do as he rehabbed from shoulder surgery during the offseason workout program. The Browns are off Sunday and return Monday with their first padded practice. Head coach Kevin Stefanski said he expects Watson to throw in team drills when the pads come on. — Daniel Oyefusi
(Last update: July 27)
Russell Wilson didn’t participate in team periods of training camp for the third straight day, but he did throw a little during an individual period. The Steelers quarterback injured his calf during the team conditioning test Wednesday evening, but said coach Mike Tomlin was holding him out of practice in an abundance of caution. In addition to throwing a handful of passes, Wilson stretched with the team but didn’t do the 20-yard sprints during warmups. With Wilson out, Justin Fields continued to take first-team reps, but his unit went 1-of-4 during the team’s “seven shots” drill. Fields’ lone touchdown went to WR Calvin Austin III on a short shuttle throw across the goal line. — Brooke Pryor
(Last update: July 27)
AFC SOUTH
Coach DeMeco Ryans called the Texans’ Saturday practice “cleaner” than Friday’s. when refs threw a few flags on pre snap issues to Ryans’ frustration. Quarterback C.J. Stroud had his foot stepped on and limped but finished practice — Ryans said Stroud is “fine.” The defense continues to look better than the offense, with Stroud and Davis Mills each throwing interceptions. The Texans starting offense didn’t have much success on 11-on-11 drills until the fourth session, when Stroud connected with wide receiver Stefon Diggs twice, tight end Brevin Jordan once, and to wideout Tank Dell for a 15-yard gain, the longest of the day. The drive stalled out though because of two penalties. — DJ Bien-Aime
(last update: July 27)
The Colts spent barely an hour on the field Thursday for their first camp practice and plan to conduct a conservative camp. Indianapolis will not have more than two consecutive practices at any point, electing to instead conduct walk-throughs on some days. It’s the product of months of deliberation among the coaching staff and the team’s medical and sports science personnel, all aimed at getting the most out of players.
“There’s a couple of different philosophies,” coach Shane Steichen said. “In training camp, some teams stay out there for the maximum time. That’s their philosophy. My philosophy is we don’t have the long, elongated practices. We will in time as training camp goes on. But we want to practice with tempo and we want to practice fast.
“But, also, we want to maximize our reps and be at our peak point.” — Stephen Holder
(Last update: July 25)
Looks like Devin Lloyd has a new role in new coordinator Ryan Nielsen’s defense: inside linebacker. Lloyd said Saturday that he gained 15 pounds in the offseason — bringing him to 250 pounds — in anticipation of playing inside more. But don’t think of it as a traditional middle linebacker role because the Jaguars will run a lot of 4-2-5 looks, which would mean only two linebackers on the field — both of whom would essentially be inside linebackers. That likely means Lloyd and Foyesade Oluokun will be on the field at the same time because it would be surprising if the Jaguars took Oluokun — who has more tackles than any other NFL player over the last three seasons (549) — off the field.
It looks like the players have taken to Nielsen’s new scheme because the defense has been ahead of the offense in the first four days of camp, particularly when it comes to turnovers: They’ve forced nine already.
“After assessing the first four days on the field I would say I’m pleased,” Lloyd said. “Obviously there’s always room for improvement, but guys have been really communicating at a high level, flying around with a lot of effort and capitalizing on the turnovers and the big plays that we need to get the ball back to offense.” — Michael DiRocco
(Last update: July 27)
The Titans started the day without their top two cornerbacks. Chidobe Awuzie went inside toward the end of Wednesday’s practice and wasn’t seen Thursday. Titans coach Brian Callahan said Awuzie had a calf injury that will keep him out for a couple of weeks. Fellow starter L’Jarius Sneed wasn’t on the field for the start of practice. Sneed came out after the individual period to watch the 7-on-7 and team periods. The Titans are employing a load management system for Sneed that stems partly from conversations with the Kansas City Chiefs, his former team. Rookies Jarvis Brownlee Jr. and Gabe Jeudy-Lally took most of the snaps in place of Awuzie and Sneed. Jeudy made a nice pass breakup on a Will Levis pass to DeAndre Hopkins to end practice. — Turron Davenport
(Last update: July 25)
AFC WEST
Safety Brandon Jones, who was one of the Broncos’ top targets in free agency, will miss some time with a left hamstring injury. Jones left Friday’s practice with the injury and underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam later that held him out of Saturday’s practice.
“He’s probably going to be a week to two weeks,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said. ” … We’re just going to be smart with his recovery. He’s someone … he’ll attack the rehab real quick, but I think two weeks will be realistic.”
After the Broncos released Justin Simmons earlier this year, they signed Jones to a three-year, $20 million deal. JL Skinner, a 2023 draft pick by the Broncos, and Caden Sterns split most of the Saturday work in Jones’ place. Saturday was also Sterns’ first practice of training camp — he passed his physical to be moved from the physically unable to perform (PUP) to open camp back to the active roster. — Jeff Legwold
(Last update: July 27)
Special teams coordinator Dave Toub has several young players he’s eager to see when the Chiefs begin the preseason but none more than Louis Rees-Zammit. A former rugby star, Rees-Zammit is trying to make the roster without having ever played in an organized football game.
“I want to see how he handles being tackled and blocked,” Toub said. “I love him. I love the way he works, so I want him to do well. I’m looking forward to seeing him.” Rees-Zammit is also playing running back, but he’s far down the depth chart, so his best chance to make the roster is as a special teams standout. Rees-Zammit is among the Chiefs’ candidates to be their kickoff return specialist. Among the other young players Toub wants to see in game action is Nikko Remigio, who is trying to make the roster as a spare wide receiver. — Adam Teicher
(Last update: July 27)
Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said there would be days in Las Vegas’ quarterback competition when Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew would both look good, and days when they might both look bad. Friday, the duo hit both ends of the spectrum … in the same practice.
A day after Minshew looked sharper but threw a pair of interceptions, O’Connell threw a pair of ducks under duress and was picked off by safety Isaiah Pola-Mao. The offense struggled mightily late in practice, particularly in the red zone. But early on, receiver Jakobi Meyers was O’Connell’s best friend with a pair of highlight-reel red zone TD catches against CB Jack Jones.
Jones responded by breaking up a potential touchdown catch by receiver Davante Adams, knocking the ball out of his hands in the end zone.
“That’s the toughest part of the field,” Meyers said of offensive plays inside the opponents’ 20-yard line. “I mean, less space, less time. I feel like if you can capitalize in the red zone, we’ll be a much better team.” — Paul Gutierrez
(Last update: July 26)
Outside linebacker Joey Bosa — who has played just 14 games in the past two seasons — said Friday that he has an added motivation this year to prove he is one of the league’s best players.
“Some people have forgotten the player I could be,” Bosa said. “And I’ve always enjoyed proving people wrong, whoever that is. Obviously, that’s not the main driver, but I have felt a bit more motivation this offseason to really get back and make a big impact.”
After making four Pro Bowls in his first six seasons, hamstring, toe and groin injuries have kept Bosa sidelined the past two years, but he said Friday that his body feels great.
“I’m pretty confident in myself that my best years are still ahead of me,” he said. “I think I still have a few more years with my physical prime left.” — Kris Rhim
(Last update: July 26)