Ten clubs will begin three-day minicamps starting Tuesday as part of the NFL’s offseason program. Before their minicamps the following week, the 22 teams that are still in the running will engage in structured team activities.
Up to minicamp, attendance at off-season gatherings and on-field practices is optional. But now that labor is required, clubs can penalize players who choose not to show up.
In order to get ready for training camp, which starts in late July and prepares players for both the preseason and regular season, coaches and players benefit from these practice sessions.
As minicamps get underway, these are some of the more intriguing plots to watch throughout the league.
Will contract disputes lead to holdouts?
While several excellent wide receivers are still waiting on new contracts, wide receiver Jaylen Waddle recently received a roughly $85 million contract extension with the Dolphins. It may lead the 49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk, the Vikings’ Justin Jefferson, the Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb, and the Broncos’ Courtland Sutton to miss minicamp. Wide receivers Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase of the Bengals have both skipped optional organized practice sessions due to contract disputes, so they might not be alone. Chase wants a multiyear agreement akin to Waddle’s, but the Bengals exercised his fifth-year option. As he approaches the last year of his rookie contract, Higgins sought a trade; thus far, the Bengals have denied his request.
Tua Tagovailoa, the quarterback for the Dolphins, has participated in some of the voluntary workouts but still wants an extension. Cameron Heyward, the defensive tackle with the Steelers, has missed OTAs because he too wants an extension.
New coaching regimes
This offseason, seven clubs appointed new head coaches, while eight teams (the Raiders) promoted their interim, Antonio Pierce, to the position of full-time head coach. Thus, minicamp will be the first time that players like Brian Callahan (Titans), Mike Macdonald (Seahawks), Dan Quinn (Commanders), Jerod Mayo (Patriots), Jim Harbaugh (Chargers), Raheem Morris (Falcons), and Dave Canales (Panthers) will have a full meeting with their new clubs. The 15 new offensive coordinators and 16 new defensive coordinators are in the same boat. In preparation for training camp position fights, these minicamp practices provide coaches and assistants with invaluable opportunities to educate players their systems while they become more acquainted with their rosters.
Early QB competitions
This summer, there are expected to be quarterback competitions involving at least five teams, if not six. Since Jayden Daniels has not been designated the starter over Marcus Mariota by the Commanders, Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury could theoretically be in the evaluation phase. The Raiders, Giants, Broncos, Vikings, and Patriots will all need to decide on starters in the interim. Though the position battles might not start in earnest until training camp, do not think that players like Daniel Jones and Drew Lock (Giants), J.J. McCarthy and Sam Darnold (Vikings), Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew (Raiders), and Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye (Patriots) will wait until July to try to set themselves apart from their opponents with each minicamp rep and throw.
Caleb Williams, the No. 1 pick in 2024, has already been designated the starting quarterback by the Bears.
Serious injuries ended the 2023 seasons of several well-known players. Currently, a few of those athletes are nearing the conclusion of their recuperation procedures. Some have come back to the field and are attempting to get back into shape with OTAs and minicamp drills. About a month before training camp, coaching and training staffs use these sessions to assess where their stars stand.
Quarterbacks Joe Burrow (hand surgery), Deshaun Watson (shoulder surgery), Daniel Jones (knee surgery), Aaron Rodgers (torn Achilles tendon), and Kirk Cousins (torn Achilles tendon) will all practice in different capacities throughout minicamp. ACL tears have sidelined Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs and Browns running back Nick Chubb, two prominent non-quarterbacks still recovering from their injuries.
Familiar faces in new places
This summer, a few of the most well-known players in the game shifted addresses. Danielle Hunter, a pass-rusher, joined the Texans. Saquon Barkley, a running back, joined the Eagles after leaving the Giants. Josh Jacobs, a fellow back, went from the Raiders to the Packers. Derrick Henry, too, moved from the Titans to the Ravens. The 49ers signed linebacker Leonard Floyd, the Titans signed wide receiver Calvin Ridley, and the Steelers added Justin Fields and Russell Wilson. After participating in a few OTA sessions, they ought to have a solid grasp of their new teams’ tasks and be ready to demonstrate their abilities during minicamp.
How do the rookies hold up?
Rookie minicamp and voluntary exercises have given Williams, Daniels, Maye, offensive tackle Joe Alt, wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., and other recent draft ees a taste of NFL practices. However, for a few, June’s minicamp will mark their first full-squad on-field practice and, in some situations, their first genuine testing against more experienced opponents. Although the rookies should be beginning to become more comfortable with their playbooks, the learning process is still in progress. Training camp will provide additional opportunities for learning, but the main objective is to leave minicamp with a solid foundation so that they can compete in July.
Special teams experimentation
This offseason, the owners of the NFL decided to make significant adjustments to the kickoff system. The change is that the receiving team must line up nine players on its own 35 yards, while all of the kicking team’s players must line up at the receiving team’s 40-yard line. As returners, two men will line up downfield. It will still be the kicker’s 35 to kick off from. Until the ball touches down in the “landing zone,” or inside the receiving team’s 20-yard line, the defenders on the kickoff team are not allowed to move. Just as when a kickoff sails out of bounds, the ball is moved to the receiving team’s 40-yard line if it hits short of the landing zone. In the event of a touchback, the ball would be transported to
Although some clubs began experimenting during OTAs, Minicamp will offer NFL players their first extended chance to learn from their coordinators how to line up and execute the modified play.
(Illustration: Sean Reilly / The Athletic; photos of Kirk Cousins and J.J. McCarthy: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images and Nick Wosika / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
