Bullet point summary by AI
- NFL training camps are officially underway, bringing early roster updates, contract situations, and major injury news across several teams.
- Nic Scourton’s ACL injury puts pressure on Jaelan Phillips, Malik Nabers avoids PUP, Jacoby Brissett reports, and Lamar Jackson faces a big year.
- These early storylines will shape roster depth, contract leverage, and playoff expectations long before Week 1 kickoff.
Roughly half of the NFL has reported to training camp, with the last teams reporting as late as Tuesday. Over the next few weeks, news will continue to pop up, injuries will happen and teams will start working toward Week 1. Here are some big takeaways from the teams that have already reported to camp over the last couple of weeks.
Jaelan Phillips is already more valuable than his contract for the Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers have been aggressive in addressing their pass rush over the last two offseasons. In the 2025 NFL Draft, the Panthers drafted Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen and then this past offseason, they landed Jaelan Phillips in a big free agency move. That turns out to be an invaluable move after Nic Scourton suffered a torn ACL injury on the first day of the Panthers’ training camp and is now on the injured reserve list.
Carolina is coming off a playoff appearance last year and made the necessary moves to build toward being a playoff contender. The loss of Scourton is huge for this defense. Scourton was the lead pass rusher with five sacks. Umanmielen had just 1.5 sacks in 16 games played. That obviously means Phillips has a lot more pressure to be the top pass rusher on this team. I don’t think the Panthers need to make any drastic moves to add depth, but Phillips is now one of their most important additions this offseason.
This also gives Umanmielen a chane at having a better second season. As long as Phillips is healthy, he should be good enough to give the Panthers a confident pass rush, but no playoff contender is good with just one good pass rusher, they also need a complimentary one. If nothing more, this should give Carolina a chance to find some depth on the defensive line.
New York Giants finally get positive Malik Nabers news
No NFL team has been slammed with injuries like the New York Giants this early in the preseason period. During mandatory camp, the Giants lost two defensive lineman to injuries. Finally they get some good injury news. Malik Nabers isn’t getting put on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, meaning he’s on track to start Week 1. Nabers suffered a torn ACL injury last season. The Giants finally needed some good news and now maybe a little optimism for the 2026 season.
There’s been a lot of questions around whether Nabers would be ready for the season opener and this is a step in the right direction. Of course, we’ll see how he handles training camp and the preseason, but the Giants can worry a little bit less about Nabers’ recovery. This is good considering Cam Skattebo’s failed backflip went viral after he’s in recovery for a major leg injury from last season as well.
Jacoby Brissett comes back down to earth after possible contract holdout
Jacoby Brissett reported to the Arizona Cardinals training camp and it means he’s finally come back down to earth after a possible contract holdout loomed over the Cardinals. Brissett realized he wasn’t going to get the money he wanted and that missing the season wasn’t worth it. This is honestly the best-case scenario for all sides. Not that the Cardinals need Brissett to play, but the way he played last year, it’s better to have him rather than relying strictly on Carson Beck in his first season.
Brissett held out voluntary workouts, seeking a pay raise, but did report to mandatory camp. With him reporting to training camp, it seems he has come to terms with not getting a pay raise for now. The two sides could still talk through options, but he’s not going to let that affect his standing for the season. Not much changes for the Cardinals now other than having their full team in for training camp.
The quarterback position wasn’t really a huge cause of concern, as they’re using bridge options this year in hopes of landing their future franchise star in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Lamar Jackson has a lot to prove in pivotal 2026 season
Lamar Jackson was ranked the No. 2 player in the NFL by NFL.com last season. This offseason, he was ranked the No. 69 player. That’s a massive drop-off for one of the most explosive players in the NFL. There’s been a lot of criticism on Jackson and how he hasn’t won an AFC title game or reached the Super Bowl. This season is as important as ever to make that happen, especially considering his contract situation.
Jackson and the Ravens are still at odds on a new contract and this year would go a long way to getting that done. If Jackson can turn regular season success into a playoff run, he can essentially ask for whatever he wants. This season, there are no more excuses as to why the Ravens can’t compete for a Super Bowl. Not to say that he shouldn’t get an extension, but the better he plays, the more leverage he can get. The Ravens reported to training camp on Friday meaning he’s truly on the clock now.
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