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AFC: Top non-QB storylines entering training camp
NFL training camps are rapidly approaching as teams continue preparing for the upcoming season. Reporting dates and locations are noted below.
Yardbarker's NFL writers came together this week to identify the top non-QB storylines each team is facing heading into camp.
AFC East
BUFFALO BILLS | Chiefs concern | Bills fans are all too familiar with the story of Buffalo’s playoff failures, especially after a 32-29 loss to Kansas City in last season’s AFC championship. The Bills are 7-7 in postseason games under head coach Sean McDermott, but 0-4 against the Chiefs, making this year’s regular season, the last played at Highmark Stadium, feel almost irrelevant. | Rookies report date: July 15 | Veterans: July 22 | Site: Rochester, N.Y. |
MIAMI DOLPHINS | Coach on the hot seat | Team owner Stephen Ross may have given head coach Mike McDaniel a vote of confidence on social media, but also said, “Continuity in leadership is not to be confused with an acceptance that the status quo is good enough.” The Dolphins haven’t won a playoff game in 25 years, something McDaniel will have to do without safety Jevon Holland, who signed with the Giants, and cornerback Jalen Ramsey, whom the team traded to the Bills. | Rookies report date: July 15 | Veterans: July 22 | Site: Miami Gardens, Fla. |
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS | Stefon Diggs to the rescue | The Patriots signed Diggs to a three-year, $63M contract after passing for a league-low 176.1 yards last season. The 31-year-old receiver will have to prove he’s fully recovered from the ACL tear that limited him to 496 yards in eight games with the Texans in 2024. Before the injury, Diggs was on pace for his seventh straight 1,000-yard season, something New England hasn’t seen since Julian Edelman had 100 catches for 1,117 yards in 2019. | Rookies report date: July 19 | Veterans: July 22 | Site: Foxboro, Mass. |
NEW YORK JETS | New York 'Newbies' | It should be interesting to see how a team ranked 24th in yards (310.3) and points (19.9) per game responds to first-time offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand, who came over from the Lions with first-time head coach Aaron Glenn. Without a true No. 2 receiver on the roster behind Garrett Wilson, expect both to lean heavily on 6-foot-5, 251-pound tight end Mason Taylor, the team’s second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. | Rookies report date: July 19 | Veterans: July 22 | Site: Florham Park, N.J. | — Bruce Ewing
AFC West
DENVER BRONCOS | Is the ground attack improved? | The Broncos rushed for just 79 yards in last season’s 31-7 AFC wild-card round loss to the Buffalo Bills. They signed sixth-year RB J.K. Dobbins in free agency and took rookie RB RJ Harvey (pick No. 60) in the NFL Draft. Dobbins, however, has battled knee and Achilles injuries throughout his career, and Harvey remains unsigned. | Rookies report date: July 16 | Veterans: July 22 | Site: Englewood, Colo. |
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS | TE Travis Kelce aiming to recapture his elite form | Kelce has confirmed he lost weight this offseason after an underwhelming 2024 season. The future Hall of Famer had just three touchdown catches in 16 regular-season games, his fewest since his rookie season in 2013. He turns 36 on Oct. 5, though, so the star TE could continue to fade in 2025. | Rookies report date: July 21 | Veterans: July 21 | Site: St. Joseph, Mo. |
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS | RB Najee Harris' health | Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz said Wednesday Harris (eye) will likely start training camp on the non-football injury/illness list after a fireworks accident on July 4. The Chargers must clear the RB from NFI before roster cutdown, or the one-time Pro Bowler will miss at least four games. Harris missing time would place much more responsibility on rookie RB Omarion Hampton (pick No. 22). | Rookies report date: July 12 | Veterans: July 16 | Site: El Segundo, Calif.. |
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS | New HC Pete Carroll brings good vibes to Vegas | Carroll’s energy and optimism are key reasons he won Super Bowl XLVIII as Seattle Seahawks HC. Those qualities are already rubbing off on the Raiders. “We’re having the most fun time in football we’ve ever had,” Vegas center/guard Jackson Powers-Johnson told the media in June. | Rookies report date: July 17 | Veterans: July 22 | Site: Henderson, Nev. | — Clark Dalton
AFC North
BALTIMORE RAVENS | Mark Andrews's future | Andrews has been one of the NFL’s best tight ends and one of quarterback Lamar Jackson’s most trusted targets. But now that he is closing in on his 30th birthday, and coming off a dreadful playoff performance, and with a young player standing out in Isaiah Likely on the roster, there has been uncertainty surrounding how much longer Andrews will remain in Baltimore. | Rookies report date: July 15 | Veterans: July 22 | Site: Owings Mills, Md. |
CINCINNATI BENGALS | Shemar Stewart situation | The Bengals desperately needed to upgrade their defense this offseason and selected Edge rusher Shemar Stewart in the first round. But he remains unsigned and is locked in one of the many draft pick contract disputes around the NFL (mostly centered around second-round picks — Stewart is the only unsigned first-rounder), and there does not appear to be an end in sight. | Rookies report date: July 19 | Veterans: July 22 | Site: Cincinnati |
CLEVELAND BROWNS | The running back room | With long-time standout Nick Chubb gone, the Browns attempted to rebuild their running back room early in the draft by selecting both Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson. But with Judkins getting arrested before even signing his rookie contract, there is now some doubt as to how that room and depth chart will shake out. | Rookies report date: July 18 | Veterans: July 22 | Site: Berea, Ohio |
PITTSBURGH STEELERS | T.J. Watt’s contract | Watt is, and has been, the Steelers’ most impactful player since he entered the NFL, and impacts their record more than anybody. When he’s not there, the team struggles. He is seeking a new contract extension that will pay him more than Cleveland’s Myles Garrett, and if he does not get it, he could opt to hold out through training camp and into the regular season. | Rookies report: July 23 | Veterans: July 23 | Site: Latrobe, PA | — Adam Gretz
AFC South
HOUSTON TEXANS | Who will emerge as the No. 2 WR? | The Texans have one of the NFL’s best wide receivers in Nico Collins, but they need someone to step up and become C.J. Stroud’s trusted No. 2. While Christian Kirk is the most obvious option, Houston drafted a pair of former Iowa State WRs in Jayden Higgins (No. 34 overall) and Jaylin Noel (No. 79 overall). Both rookies had more than 1,000 receiving yards last season and will look to make an immediate impact. | Rookies report date: July 22 | Veterans: July 22 | Site: Houston |
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS | Rookie TE Tyler Warren's impact | The Colts have not had a true pass-catching threat at the tight end position for years, which is why they drafted Warren 14th overall. The former Penn State star had 104 catches for 1,233 yards and eight touchdowns last season. QBs Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson have both struggled throwing the ball downfield, so Warren could quickly become the focal point of Indy’s passing offense. | Rookies report date: July 21 | Veterans: July 22 | Site: Westfield, Ind. |
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS | Travis Hunter watch | Hunter has insisted he wants to play both ways in the NFL like he did at Colorado, and the Jaguars are planning to let him do that. The big question is whether the Heisman Trophy winner will primarily be a wide receiver or a cornerback. Offense seems like it will be Hunter’s focus, though he has already shown in practice that he is capable of dazzling on defense as well. | Rookies report date: July 19 | Veterans: July 22 | Site: Jacksonville, Fla. |
TENNESSEE TITANS | L'Jarius Sneed's time to shine | Tennessee traded for Sneed last offseason, and immediately signed the star cornerback to a four-year, $76M extension, but he suffered a season-ending injury in October. The Titans showed that they still have confidence in Sneed by not making any significant upgrades at the CB position this offseason. Tennessee allowed just 177.3 passing yards per game last year, and their pass defense should be even better in 2025 with a healthy Sneed. | Rookies report date: July 22 | Veterans: July 22 | Site: Nashville | — Steve DelVecchio
More must-reads:
- Rashee Rice receives sentencing; what that means for 2025
- Josh Allen discusses Bills being featured on 'Hard Knocks: Training Camp'
- The 'Total touchdown leaders by NFL season since 2000' quiz
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