Football is here. Finally. Training camps are kicking off, and more teams are jumping into the pads by the day. We’re still very much in the early going, but a handful of newsworthy — or are newsy-ish — situations have people buzzing in other front offices. The chatter is picking up as NFL coaches and execs leave the beach for the practice fields, and we have plenty to monitor already. These five questions stand out:
Will Lamar Jackson sign an extension?
The two-time MVP quarterback could cut off contract talks with the Ravens at any point. He has an $85 million cap hit for 2027 (along with a no trade and no tag provision) that renders that year of the deal moot. So this is shaping up to be a potential walk-year in Baltimore. Jackson represents himself in negotiations, and he isn’t one who likes to deal with such business once the season has started.
Time may be running out to get something done before the season, and after it, Jackson will have even more leverage than before. “He’s got them by the balls,” is how one GM put this situation to me. Mark Levin, the NFLPA's former head of contract and salary cap administration who was involved in Jackson's previous negotiations before retiring, told me he “wouldn’t be surprised at all” if Jackson asked for a trade in 2027. (Levin is not currently involved in that situation.)
When is Aaron Donald coming back?
Notice I didn’t write “if” Donald is coming back, but when. A recent chat with head coach Sean McVay has me convinced this is happening, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the contract was formalized in the next 7-10 days, barring some sort of medical issue or change of heart. They aren’t going to pressure the future Hall of Fame defensive tackle in any way, and McVay gave me every indication they’ll take him back whenever he wants.
But players and execs around the league are getting the strong impression that Donald is busting his tail to get into football shape and that he’s more inclined to be playing football again by the early portion of the season. “He was full and he was complete,” McVay said of the legendary defender, “and he got that itch again.” Bet he scratches it soon.
Is Patrick Mahomes good to go?
With each passing day, it becomes clearer that Patrick Mahomes is going to play Week 1. It’s something we’ve been banking on since the early spring when we first started hearing whispers about how ahead of schedule he was. Andy Reid is basically saying it out loud now, and Mahomes is driven to take every snap this year.
The real question is: How close to himself is he in the first half of the season? There is a mental and physical component to a knee injury of this magnitude, and a trust factor that can’t be replicated until full-contact situations occur with opponents paid to thwart you. Reid has bucked the trend of shelving his starters in the preseason but how does he handle that with Mahomes now? Too much, too soon, and any sort of setback could jeopardize their season. He, obviously, is the franchise.
Does Josh Allen have the right supporting cast?
The Bills offense has lacked a consistent identity beyond Josh Allen. Things default to Allen running people over and making off-script plays and taking on multiple defenders. It’s fair to say they haven’t gotten as much consistency and potency from the receiver or tight end positions as they would like, and it’s part of why Sean McDermott isn’t there anymore after being good for basically at least one playoff win every year.
This is something they might have to address is a meaningful way sooner rather than later. How seamlessly DJ Moore fits in is one part of the puzzle, but how much anyone flashes, too, matters. No one imagines a Stefon Diggs reunion there, though perhaps DeAndre Hopkins makes sense or Bills GM Brandon Beane swings a trade of some consequence. There is a lot on the plate of rookie head coach Joe Brady already, calling plays on offense and taking on this bigger role, and there is no substitute for talent.
Does Dan Quinn’s staff fit?
There was plenty of whispering going on about this dynamic to begin with, after the front office assumed even more power from a lost 2025 season that included sweeping personnel failures. So GM Adam Peters has a big role in retaining Quinn as head coach, yet constructing a basically entirely new staff around him, with Quinn stripped of running the defense, which is what got him hired in the first place.
Hmmm. And now the new tight ends coach couldn’t make it to training camp without being dismissed for a DUI offense. Great. This is Year Three for Jayden Daniels and he is in line for an extension after this season. Plenty of smart people we trust in this league think this is set up to fail. “They should have fired the head coach and started over,” as one longtime NFL personnel exec. “These arranged marriages don’t work.”
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