With training camps underway, here’s a look at the top position battles to watch for teams in the NFC East:
KICKER | Tristan Vizcaino vs. Brandon Aubrey vs. Anybody: After missing five extra points and a field goal in two playoff games, Brett Maher was released in the offseason, opening the door for Aubrey, Vizcaino or someone else to win the job.
Vizcaino has 12 field-goal attempts in his NFL career. Aubrey has none. Vizcaino has played for four teams over the past four years, appearing in just seven games. Aubrey is a former soccer player who spent time with Toronto FC of Major League Soccer before winning two USFL championships with the Birmingham Stallions.
As special-teams coordinator John Fassel put it, “Anybody else on earth who is not on the team right now is under consideration. That’s everybody, really.” Don’t be surprised if Dallas brings in former Packer Mason Crosby, who played 12 years for head coach Mike McCarthy.
WIDE RECEIVER | Everybody vs. Darren Waller: General manager Joe Schoen took a quantity-over-quality approach with his wide receivers this offseason. The Giants’ No. 1 receiver will probably be tight end Darren Waller, leaving Isaiah Hodgins, Darius Slayton, Parris Campbell, Jalin Hyatt, Sterling Shepard, Jamison Crowder and Wan’Dale Robinson to fight for No. 2.
Last season, Slayton led the team with 724 yards receiving, good for 47th among NFL receivers. Robinson and Shepard are coming back from ACL injuries and Campbell will likely work from the slot this fall.
After being claimed off waivers in November, Hodgins proved to be a favorite target of QB Daniel Jones. The former Bill finished the regular season strongly with four touchdowns in his last five games and should get plenty of looks throughout training camp.
RIGHT GUARD | Cam Jurgens vs. Tyler Steen vs. Jack Driscoll: The Eagles must replace Isaac Seumalo, who signed as a free agent with Pittsburgh in the offseason. Driscoll started three games last season at right guard when Seumalo suffered an ankle injury, but the Eagles swing tackle d idn’t play well.
Jurgens was drafted as heir apparent to Jason Kelce, but with the All-Pro center returning for his 13th season, head coach Nick Sirianni said Jurgens will get first shot to play right guard. Jurgens should also see work at center while the team rests their 35-year-old starter.
That leaves plenty of opportunity for Steen. The team’s third-round pick will get to show what he can do in place of Seumalo. The 6-foot-five, 315-pound rookie played left tackle for Alabama in 2022, but the Eagles drafted him to play guard. If Steen plays well, Jurgens could be stuck on the bench for another year.
QUARTERBACK | Sam Howell vs. Jacoby Brissett: Taylor Heinicke is now with the Atlanta Falcons and Carson Wentz is hunting bears in Alaska. That leaves former fifth-round pick Howell and journeyman Brissett to compete for the starting job.
Howell won his only start for the Commanders this past season, a meaningless Week 18 game against Dallas – which puts him only 17 wins behind Brissett. According to the Commanders' website, Howell impressed as the QB1 with several strong throws on the first day of camp, but a lot can happen between now and the regular season.
Brissett started 11 games for the Browns last season but won only four. If neither quarterback plays well, new ownership could have eyes on Southern Cal QB Caleb Williams in 2024.
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Micah Parsons showed up for the Dallas Cowboys' preseason finale against the Atlanta Falcons in body only. The star pass-rusher showed no spirit and did not dress amid his hold-in for a contract extension. On Thursday, Parsons scrubbed the Cowboys from his social media feed. During Friday's game, he couldn't be bothered to be with his teammates on the sideline watching the whole game. Per a photo posted on X by The Athletic's Jon Machota, Parsons was seen lying down on a trainer's table during the contest. Parsons' actions come amid a turbulent week between his representation and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. In separate interviews, Jones told both Michael Irvin and ESPN's Stephen A. Smith that he did not plan to back down from his agreement with Parsons to work with agent David Mulugheta. During the pregame show on Friday, Jones boasted to 105.3 The Fan that defensive end is where the Cowboys have the most depth on the roster. "Frankly, our defensive ends may be the best depth, where we have the most talent of any position on the field," Jones said via Machota. "I'm excited about our depth and our numbers at pass rusher. ... I'm concerned because of having space on the roster to keep that many of our guys that have pass rushing ability." Following Friday night's game, the Cowboys' preseason is over. The situation between Jones and Parsons is not ideal for first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer, who is tasked with trimming the roster to 53 players by Tuesday. If Parsons is traded or chooses not to play in Week 1, Schottenheimer is going to have to decide to take away depth from what Jones sees as a weaker part of the team to boost a unit that is without their best player because he won't negotiate with Mulugheta.
Former punter Pat McAfee is receiving an honor that is rare for a special teams member. On Friday, West Virginia announced that McAfee was one of six players entering the program's Hall of Fame for the 2025 class. McAfee is thankful for the recognition from his former school. He used some strong language to react to WVU's reveal. "It was nice to have an opportunity to think back and reminisce about a great era of my life," McAfee posted on X. "I am so thankful for the recognition. This is normally something I would try and f------ hate.. I’d say that it’s b------- and they feel obligated to do this but; this call made my soul feel good. Thanks for the opportunity to be a Mountaineer @RealCoachRod.. it was an honor." McAfee was a highly productive specialist at West Virginia, earning First-team All-American honors in 2008. During his time with the Mountaineers, he set the school record for most games played (51), scoring (384) and extra points made (210). He held the Big East record for most extra points made, when he made 210 of 212 attempts. McAfee's success at West Virginia propelled the Indianapolis Colts to select him in the seventh round of the 2009 draft. He earned All-Pro honors in 2014 and made the Pro Bowl in 2014 and 2016. He has the highest career net average in punting years with 41.1. McAfee should be proud of his achievements during his days in college and the legacy he is building with the program. The ESPN pundit even used his influence to speak with WVU athletic director Wren Baker to help with the coaching search that ultimately brought back Rich Rodriguez to the school.
San Francisco Giants pitcher Justin Verlander had another rough outing on Thursday. The future Hall of Famer allowed seven runs on seven hits and a walk over his 4.1 innings, striking out four as the Padres defeated the Giants 8-4. His outing ended a streak where Verlander had allowed one or fewer runs in four of his previous five outings. The 42-year-old Verlander has been inconsistent at best this season, posting a 4.64 ERA and a 1.437 WHIP over his 110.2 innings, striking out 99 batters with 37 walks. This follows an injury-plagued 2024 campaign where Verlander posted 5.48 ERA and a 1.384 WHIP in 90.1 innings. Verlander, meanwhile, insists that he is not done. John Shea of the San Francisco Standard reported that Verlander wants to pitch in 2026. That desire does have a caveat — if Verlander suffers a significant injury, he said he is not interested in a lengthy rehab process to get back on the mound. "The ball’s rolling in the right direction, and I would like to continue pitching. You never know. It’s a fickle game too, but I think the stuff is still there," Verlander said. Verlander had been a workhorse earlier in his career, pitching at least 180 innings in all but one season from 2006 through 2019. He came back from Tommy John surgery that cost him most of 2020 and all of the 2021 season, winning the AL Cy Young award with a major league-leading 1.75 ERA and a 0.829 WHIP over his 175 innings, striking out 185 batters with 25 walks in his age 39 season in 2022. Verlander is a nine-time All-Star, won three Cy Young awards and was named the 2011 AL MVP and the 2006 AL Rookie of the Year. Those innings have taken their toll on Verlander. He has battled injuries over the past few years and has been below replacement level since the start of 2024. While he may want to return in 2026, his body and performance are telling a different story.
Pittsburgh Steelers star edge rusher T.J. Watt got rewarded handsomely in the offseason for being one of the best in the NFL at his position, and he had a few things to say about how the deal came about. The Steelers have made some big moves in the offseason, trading for Jalen Ramsey, signing Darius Slay, Aaron Rodgers, and DK Metcalf, alongside extending T.J. Watt. It capped off one of the most un-Steelers offseasons in years, and there is still more business to be done as Cam Heyward is holding in over his contract details. Watt signed a record three-year, $123 million extension, the highest deal for a non-quarterback, following months of tough negotiations between his agent and the Steelers. Many thought Watt’s Instagram post with Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Nick Herbig just hours before the deal was confirmed was a major hint of it being done. It turns out that wasn’t quite the case. T.J. Watt had no idea Steelers extension was done when he posted Instagram photo with Herbig Hours before T.J. Watt’s extension was confirmed, he posted a picture with Nick Herbig, and he had a sizeable grin of someone who’d just ended his holdout and earned a massive payday. That wasn’t the case. Asked if Herbig spilled the beans on the deal on Cam Heyward‘s podcast, Watt said: “You’re talking about the picture that we posted. No, that was literally just picture day at the gym! “I got home, and the deal, they called me, and the deal was done.” Herbig was then asked if he had done pushups before the picture, as he looked ‘jacked’. Aside from the comments that Watt looked remarkably bulkier than he did last year, they had mostly been about the star edge rusher signing a new deal or that they were training in Wisconsin. Herbig and Watt’s Alma Mater was Wisconsin, so some didn’t jump the gun, but the majority of fans went wild with speculation. The fact that his agent had sealed the deal with the Steelers a few hours later looked to have validated that speculation. Well, Watt has now dispelled that for good! Steelers have one of the most stacked edge rushing rooms in NFL after drafting Jack Sawyer The beauty of the NFL draft is that you are often left wondering how players fall to certain teams, like the Baltimore Ravens with Malaki Starks, bolstering an already incredibly defensive backs room. The same can be said for the Chiefs with Left Tackle Josh Simmons, who looks like a franchise LT already, and the Steelers with the Ohio State linebacker Jack Sawyer. Sawyer, a National Championship winner last season, fell to the fourth round, and conveniently into the arms of the Steelers, who already have an incredible pass-rushing unit. He joins Watt, Herbig, and ROLB Alex Highsmith in one of the most dangerous units in the league, which will be a prime test for the AFC North. Here’s what Watt said about Sawyer: “I just think it’s cool to see Jack pick our brains. We give him a hard time because now you can’t really haze rookies, so we’re trying to find ways to get under his skin. “It’s not very hard. But I think he’s going to be a good player for us. I think he’s a bigger body guy who can rush inside or outside, and you see his growth each and every day. It’s been pretty cool.” Baltimore, the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Cleveland Browns will have to face that unit at least twice this season!