Every NFL fan base's biggest fear as their teams begin training camp

Training camps have already started around the NFL with the bulk of them beginning over the next couple of weeks. Fans have a lot to be excited about with football season literally right around the corner. But not all fan bases have the same problems. Some have quarterback battles that will ultimately determine their respective teams' fates, while others have some issues with the offense and defense. Here are the biggest fears for every fan base around the league as training camp ramps up. 

Arizona Cardinals: Walter Nolen III continues to have injury problems

Walter Nolen III is really good when he’s healthy. The problem is, health is a major problem for him. Arizona Cardinals fans have every reason to be concerned about this because he was a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and a player the Cardinals were supposed to build around. He missed a lot of camp last year because of injury, and if he’s not healthy again, it could be a bad sign for the Cardinals. 

Atlanta Falcons: Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. don’t work out

Atlanta gave up on Kirk Cousins, justifiably, and now has a quarterback room that features Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa. Both have extensive injury histories and aren’t really franchise quarterbacks to this point. If Kevin Stefanski can’t figure out how to get the most out of either one of them this year, the Falcons are in a heap of trouble. They have the weapons and a decent defense. Continuing to have quarterback problems throughout 2026 is only going to amplify the Falcons’ problems.

Baltimore Ravens: Lamar Jackson doesn’t re-sign this offseason

The Baltimore Ravens having Lamar Jackson’s extension looming over this team this season isn’t ideal. While Jackson represents himself, despite his success, neither side can come to an agreement. Other top quarterbacks like Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert, for example, probably wouldn’t have nearly as difficult of a time securing an extension. The Ravens’ hesitancy could either come back to bite them or be a bigger narrative than the Ravens competing for a Super Bowl this year. Ravens fans are probably tired of hearing about this, and the longer it lasts, the more of a story it’s going to be. 

Buffalo Bills: The pass rush doesn’t hold up

The Buffalo Bills parted ways with Joey Bosa this offseason and turned to Bradley Chubb as a short-term solution to their pass rush. This defensive line isn’t that threatening right now and they still have the chance to bolster that position group. Their interior defensive line isn’t bad, they just don’t have a lot of depth. Last year, the Bills ranked first in passing yards allowed and sixth in touchdowns allowed. Chubb will be responsible for keeping this pass rush elite. He has had at least eight sacks in each of the last three seasons, but he only has two with 10 or more in his NFL career.

Carolina Panthers: Bryce Young regresses

The Carolina Panthers finally saw glimpses of what Bryce Young can be in the NFL last season and it got them to the NFL playoffs. The NFL is about consistency, though, which means last season becomes Young’s new baseline. The Panthers added some weapons around him and improved the defense, which means there’s more pressure on him to perform at a high level again than not. Training camp won’t be the end-all, be-all, but it will either reassure Panthers fans or haunt them for the 2026 season. 

Chicago Bears: Not adding an elite pass rusher

The way this offseason is going for Chicago, it feels like they aren’t going to make any more big splashes, though they still have until the trade deadline to do so. If they don't, Bears fans will be right to be mad about the lack of moves the Bears have made to improve this pass rush. It was their biggest problem going into the offseason and remains their biggest one. Neglecting the pass rush cost them a deep playoff run and doing it again this year only lowers their ceiling for 2026. I guess Chicago will use the early part of training camp to evaluate what they have and if they’re satisfied with it.

Cincinnati Bengals: The defense is all hype, no production

The Bengals invested heavily into this defense this offseason, which is a step in the right direction, but all the hype around it could be just that. There’s a lot of pressure on this defense to be reminiscent of the 2021 Super Bowl-bound team, but they haven’t played a snap yet and until they do, we won’t know how good (or not good) this defense truly is. Joe Burrow has a lot of confidence in this 2026 edition of the Bengals, but we’ve seen this story before, and until they play a game, we shouldn’t overhype this team.

Cleveland Browns: Deshaun Watson wins the starting quarterback job

Cleveland has entertained this idea of Deshaun Watson starting in 2026  throughout the offseason and it just feels like we’re inching closer to that, which would be catastrophic to the Browns’ future. Watson having any playing time in Cleveland, truthfully, just doesn’t make sense. Shedeur Sanders may not be the better quarterback, but at least you get answers about the future of the position. The Browns get no more clarity with Watson under center than they currently have. Browns fans will be livid if they have to suffer through yet another disappointing season with Watson at the helm. Even worse, he could play them out of a good draft position too.

Dallas Cowboys: Dak Prescott’s MVP campaign is wasted away again

When Dak Prescrott is healthy, he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. The Dallas Cowboys would now because two of the last three seasons that he’s been healthy, he’s been in the MVP conversation. The Cowboys decided to go with a younger core for defense, which can work but again, could hold this team back. The defense has been a problem since Dan Quinn left for the Washington Commanders job. This has to be the year they figure out and more importantly, the year they actually go on a playoff run if Prescott looks like has over the last few years. 

Denver Broncos: Bo Nix doesn’t bounce back after his injury

This Denver Broncos team is as good on paper as any of the top playoff contenders, but they don’t have the insurance under center as most of them do. Bo Nix has looked like an elite quarterback and does have the weapons around him to mask some of his deficiencies. He suffered an ankle injury against Buffalo that ended his season, and the Broncos are dependent on his health and continued success to contend for the Super Bowl in 2026. 

Detroit Lions: The secondary has too many holes 

Detroit waived Terrion Arnold after he was arrested and linked to an armed robbery attempt. Their secondary was already struggling and losing him set this secondary back even more. The offense shouldn’t have a problem and Aidan Hutchinson should be good enough to generate pass pressure. Once the ball is downfield, though, that’s where the questions come up. The Lions can’t afford to have secondary issues as important as this season is. They’ll have to get creative in how they get some help, but if they don’t, Lions fans will certainly have a lot to be worried about. 

Green Bay Packers: Micah Parsons isn’t enough on the defensive line

The Green Bay Packers went all in on Micah Parsons and with his availability in Week 1 in question, it could very well hold this Green Bay team back from reaching its playoff potential. The Packers didn’t win a single game last year after Parsons got hurt. That’s not a good sign at all and could spell trouble for the Packers this season. Unless they get some help on this defensive line, it will be a long season in Green Bay.

Houston Texans: C.J. Stroud doesn’t get back to his rookie season heroics

C.J. Stroud has already seemingly plateaued, which isn’t good at all. He’s still on his rookie contract, hasn’t made it past the divisional round, despite reaching the playoffs in each of his first three seasons. The Texans need Stroud to look like a franchise quarterback this season and hopefully adding a running back helps. Though his completion percentage was a tick higher than his first two seasons last year, he’s thrown for less passing yards, fewer touchdowns and has had more interceptions in each of the last two seasons. That won’t fly in 2026.

Indianapolis Colts: Daniel Jones doesn’t recover well from his torn Achilles

There’s a lot of pressure on Daniel Jones this season after he inked an $80 million deal on the backend of his Achilles tear recovery. The Colts are banking on him to have another breakout year after his strong start was cut short after 10 starts. Not only do the Colts have a financial obligation to him, but their future hinges on it as well after they offloaded two first-round picks for Sauce Gardner at the trade deadline. Another down year and the Colts might feel the weight of that decision they made.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Travon Walker doesn’t reach his full potential

Jacksonville has continued to believe in Travon Walker and they need him to build on the 2025 season. After having back-to-back seasons with 10 sacks, he had just 3.5 last year. If he can’t consistently be the pass rusher the Jaguars expected him to be when they took him No. 1 overall over Aidan Hutchinson, they’ll be in a whole lot of trouble. For now, the Jaguars seem fine being patient, but I know Jags fans are uneasy with how inconsistent he’s been since he was drafted.  

Kansas City Chiefs: Offensive line continues to struggle

Patrick Mahomes was quite literally running for his life last season. For much of the first half of the year, he was Kansas City’s leading rusher, which is never a good sign if your star quarterback is leading the charge on the ground. A lot of his rushing yards came on undesigned quarterback runs. The Chiefs' offensive line has struggled for much of the past few seasons, though it finally caught up to them last year. It would be a shame for Mahomes to come back from his knee injury just to have the same lingering protection problems. 

Las Vegas Raiders: Kirk Cousins is actually good?

As a Las Vegas Raiders fan, you don’t want your team to fail, right? But it’s hard to want them to play well while also waiting for Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, to take over this team. All signs are pointing toward Cousins being the Week 1 starter, but what if he actually plays good enough to keep the job? Does that delay Mendoza for the whole year? Does it actually work out that Mendoza benefits from an entire season as the backup quarterback? These are all hypotheticals, but it certainly is a reasonable fear for Raiders fans who are eager to see what the future franchise quarterback will look like. 

Los Angeles Chargers: Justin Herbert never reaches his apex

The Los Angeles Chargers have been desperately waiting for Justin Herbert to enter the next realm of his development. He’s produced at a high level for the Chargers since he was drafted in the 2020 class. The problem? He has no playoff wins despite reaching the postseason three times in his career. If Herbert is the quarterback Chargers fans believe he is, those woes have to end this year, but after another miserable performance last year, could this really be the best he’ll be?

Los Angeles Rams: They don’t have the healthy season to back up their expensive offseason

The Los Angeles Rams went on a spending spree this past offseason, landing Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson and Myles Garrett in massive trade deals — Watson was a free agent acquisition. It wouldn’t be ideal to invest heavily into this roster just for them to not win the Super Bowl. That’s what this offseason was about: Utter dominance. If they don’t stay healthy, it would pretty much end their season, and that would be heartbreaking considering they went all in this offseason.

Miami Dolphins: Malik Willis isn’t the quarterback they thought he was

This season for Malik Willis is all about getting acclimated to a new team. The Miami Dolphins reshuffled this entire team and have to build back to playoff contention. Whether the Dolphins win or not this season, Willis has to look like a more polished version of Tua Tagovailoa. They gave him a $70 million contract this offseason because they wanted to believe in him. If he doesn’t look like the quarterback they need, regardless of the weapons they have, that would feel like money wasted. 

Minnesota Vikings: Kyler Murray doesn’t solve their quarterback problem

The Minnesota Vikings have seemingly turned their attention to Kyler Murray under center and the one thing that hasn’t really been talked about: what if he isn’t the impact player they thought he was? That would shatter this team, end their championship window and just might force Justin Jefferson to demand a trade. Murray and J.J. McCarthy are in a quarterback battle and Murray probably has the edge. If he doesn’t work out either, the Vikings might not ever shake the thought of letting Sam Darnold go. 

New England Patriots: Their offense doesn’t progress

New England realized after their Super Bowl run last year they needed to beef up this offense and get Drake Maye some better weapons. The result was Romeo Doubs and A.J. Brown landing with the Patriots this offseason. But what if they don’t live up to the expectations ahead of them? The Patriots haven’t had consistent production from their receiver room in years. Last year was their first 1,000-yard receiver since Tom Brady left. Brown and Doubs have enormous pressure on them to elevate this offense. If they don’t, there will be more questions than answers.

New Orleans Saints: Tyler Shough doesn’t progress

The New Orleans Saints are still in the rebuilding phase, but they have what they feel is their quarterback. Tyler Shough looked better than most expected last year as a second round pick. The Saints need to use this part of the rebuilding process to find their quarterback and if they don’t have that confirmed this year with Shough, it won’t really matter what other additions they make. He has enough weapons to work with, the question is: Will it be enough?

New York Giants: Injuries will continue to haunt this team

Before training camp, the New York Giants already lost two defensive players. Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo are both coming off major injuries as well, which they suffered last season. Health can’t continue to be a problem for a team starving for playoff success. Nabers has to come back ready to lead this team. New York added some key pieces, but the offensive weapons are thin. Nabers, Skattebo and the rest of this team have to stay healthy if they want to look like a serious contender. 

New York Jets: Geno Smith plays them out of a good draft spot

Geno Smith doesn’t really have much to prove, but he could use this season as a shot at redemption, if nothing more to prove to the New York Jets that they did him wrong all those years ago. Doing that would ultimately punish the Jets and keep them from landing their future franchise quarterback. Smith had a horrible year last year, but his time in Seattle was good enough. If that version of Smith returns for 2026, Jets fans might wish they didn’t bring him back. 

Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Hurts drama boils over

There have been rumblings that the Philadelphia Eagles and Jalen Hurts aren’t quite as cool as they used to be. Hurts has regressed a bit over the last few seasons, particularly with the uptick in production from Saquon Barkley. Hurts has a Super Bowl ring and MVP to his name, but that’s still not enough to keep him off the hot seat. This season could be a make-or-break season for Hurts as he tries to mend Eagles fans’ feelings. Another slump of a season and Philly fans will be ready to jettison Hurts before his contract is even up. 

Pittsburgh Steelers: Another mediocre season to end Aaron Rodgers’ career

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a model team when it comes to mediocrity. They don’t lose enough to get a good draft spot and they don’t win enough to be serious playoff contenders. Mike McCarthy is in his first year and Aaron Rodgers is in his last. They either have to put together a Super Bowl that mirrors their 2010 run or bringing Rodgers back was all for nothing. Steelers fans would hate to have their first losing season since before Bill Cowher was on the sidelines back in 2003, but at least they’d get a chance at a franchise quarterback with this deep draft class.

San Francisco 49ers: They don’t add to this pass rush

San Francisco is behind the 8-ball when you look at the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams. The 49ers need to add a pass rusher before the season starts, simply put. Mykel Williams has a lot of potential, but he’s not quite there yet. Nick Bosa is coming off an ACL injury and toward the end of his career. Maxx Crosby is out there as an option as well as some lower-tier players. Whatever they decide, standing pat won’t cut it. 

Seattle Seahawks: Sam Darnold comes back down to earth

Seattle got the benefit of Sam Darnold not regressing after his strong lone season in Minnesota. In his first year in Seattle, he carried the Seahawks to a Super Bowl win. Now he’ll have the pressure of replicating last year’s success again in 2026. It’s not impossible, but that also means he can’t regress. That’s on everybody’s minds, but the Seahawks can’t afford fore him to have a down year with how loaded the NFC West division is. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Baker Mayfield drama looms over this team

Tampa Bay has said they value Baker Mayfield and plan on keeping him around South Florida long-term, but neither side are close to agreeing on terms of an extension. If that affects the Bucs this season, that’s not ideal. The Buccaneers have all the potential to dominate in the NFC South division, but if Mayfield’s future hangs over this team, what happens on the field will feel secondary. 

Tennessee Titans: Cam Ward doesn’t have a big second-year leap

Yes, the Tennessee Titans are still in the rebuilding process, but that doesn’t mean they can’t get signs that they’re headed in the right direction. Cam Ward having a big year two would certainly fit the bill of heading in the right direction. The Titans drafted Carnell Tate No. 4 overall meaning he’s the core of the weapons available for Ward. Now that he has a true No. 1 target, the Titans have to show signs of progress or they’ll feel like they’re never getting out of the rebuilding period. 

Washington Commanders: This secondary hold the defense back

The Washington Commanders were cutting all types of checks this offseason, but the one position they left up for grabs was their cornerback room. That’s been the least productive position group for the Commanders. They have potential in-house, meaning Mike Sainristil and Trey Amos have to answer the call. The Commanders can still explore trades or even entertain bringing Trevon Diggs back with Dan Quinn, whom he thrived with. If they don’t, they’ll only have themselves to blame if their corners struggle again in 2026.

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