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Offseason workouts are over, and the mandatory minicamps are done. The next time NFL fans will see players taking the field and coaches blowing whistles will be in late July, when the 32 training camps kick off.
Before then, though, there will likely be some notable free-agency moves (Stefon Diggs, Jadeveon Clowney and Deebo Samuel say hello). Otherwise, the NFL should be relatively quiet until camps open.
There are, however, lessons we learned over the past few weeks that will be relevant in the season ahead.
1. George Pickens is ready to roll on franchise tag
This might seem like a small item, but if Pickens wanted to turn this situation into a circus, he could have. Instead, it appears the 25-year-old receiver known in Pittsburgh for hismercurial nature is happy to make $27.2 million on the tag before potentially hitting unrestricted free agency in March.
A second-team All-Pro wideout last year with 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns, Pickens has the chance to replicate that season and earn in the $40 million per year range. If he does, that likely means Dallas had a terrific offensive season, giving it a chance to win the wide-open NFC East.
2. Geno Smith, Frank Reich trying to turn Jets’ offense around
This isn’t supposed to be a terrific season for New York. If anything, finishing higher than third in the AFC East ahead of either the Bills or Patriots would be viewed as a monumental feat. After all, the Jets have +2000 odds to win their division. Only three teams (the Dolphins, Browns and Cardinals) have longer odds.
Still, the offense is getting a makeover with the return of quarterback Geno Smith, who has first-year coordinator (and former Jets quarterback) Frank Reich running the unit. So far, so good, as Reich spent part of last week praising his veteran signal-caller.
The duo will be working with first-round tight end Kenyon Sadiq and wideout Omar Cooper Jr., alongside established star Garrett Wilson. It’s a long road to respectability for the Jets, who haven’t reached the playoffs since the 2011 season, but it’s a start.
3. Calais Campbell likely embarking on final season
Campbell is a modern marvel. After playing his first 18 seasons with the Cardinals, Jaguars, Ravens, Falcons and Dolphins, Campbell is spending his age-40 campaign on a second stint with Baltimore in a final attempt at winning his first Super Bowl ring.
Campbell has a fascinating Hall of Fame case. He’s a six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro, including first-team in 2017 when he posted 14.5 sacks and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting behind fellow defensive lineman Aaron Donald of the Rams. All told, Campbell has 117 sacks and 196 tackles for loss, the latter of which is more than any other active player. As for the sacks, he ranks 25th all-time and of the 24 men ahead of him, 15 are in the Hall of Fame, and Myles Garrett and Von Miller will certainly get there upon retirement.
4. Bills still working through OL competition
For years, the same group has been blocking for MVP quarterback Josh Allen. He’s had Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown on the edges, with David Edwards, Connor McGovern and O'Cyrus Torrence from left to right on the interior.
That won’t be true this year, after Edwards signed with the Saints in free agency. While everyone else remains in place, the left guard competition is between longtime sixth lineman Alec Anderson and free-agent acquisition Austin Corbett. Corbett came over from the Panthers on a one-year, $1.4 million contract, having started 20 games across the past three years.
Last year, Corbett played 673 snaps and finished 58th of 79 qualifying guards with a pass-blocking grade of 58.0. As for Anderson, he’s started six games across two years, including 480 offensive snaps, making it difficult to draw firm conclusions. That said, whoever wins the job will be a key player for Buffalo, which is attempting to reach its first Super Bowl since 1993.
5. Michael Penix Jr. is on schedule for Falcons
Maybe the biggest news to come out of the past week is the expectation that Penix will be on the field and taking snaps this summer. While the Falcons will certainly be cautious with their third-year quarterback (who is coming off his third ACL tear), not having to delay his first-team reps in a new offense under first-year coach Kevin Stefanski is key.
Through two seasons, Penix hasn’t played much … or very well. In 12 starts, he’s completed 59.6% of his attempts for 2,757 yards and 12 touchdowns with six interceptions. He’s also posted a -0.5 EPA thus far, failing to make an impact on an Atlanta team that hasn’t won a playoff game since beating the Rams in the 2017 wild-card round.
With Tua Tagovailoa on a one-year deal as Penix’s backup, the door is open for a quarterback competition if health becomes a factor in August. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case for Penix, who desperately needs a quality season to get his fifth-year option picked up next spring.
6. Xavier Worthy looks good, and he needs to be for Chiefs
It's rare for a coach to shout-out a player in a noncontact jersey for having an excellent minicamp, but such was the case this week in Kansas City with Andy Reid and third-year receiver Xavier Worthy.
Worthy, who is in the final stages of recovery from an offseason shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum, bulked up in the offseason and Reid noticed, stating that the Chiefs have put him in more highlighted positions. Some of this is likely due to Rashee Rice being in jail throughout the Chiefs’ OTAs and minicamp (he was released on Tuesday).
Come the regular season, Kansas City desperately needs Worthy to be the player so many expected him to be in 2025. Worthy finished his rookie season with 58 catches for 679 yards and six touchdowns over his final 10 games, including the playoffs. That’s a pace of 98 receptions, 1,154 yards and 10 touchdowns for a 17-game slate. Then Worthy got injured by colliding with teammate Travis Kelce three plays into his second season, and everything was derailed.
Going into this summer, Kansas City has Rice, Worthy and Tyquan Thornton leading the depth chart with second-year man Jalen Royals and fifth-round rookie Cyrus Allen behind them. Last year, Royals played 86 snaps and had two catches for four yards. In short, Worthy needs a breakout campaign for the Chiefs to have a solid passing attack.
7. Lions’ secondary still in considerable flux
If Detroit is going to reach its first Super Bowl in franchise history, the defensive backs will have plenty to do with it. And that group might bewithout Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph for some time.
In December, Branch sustained atorn Achilles against the Cowboys and isn’t expected to be back until deep into the season. Meanwhile,Joseph has a chronic knee injury, leaving Detroit with an uncertain timeline for his return. Given the uncertainty surrounding its two biggest stars, the secondary needs unexpected contributors.
In that vein, the Lions will rely on free-agent signings, safeties Chuck Clark and Christian Izien, who will be seeing ample snaps. Last year, that duo played 603 combined snaps. There could be a much larger workload ahead for a team that ranked 20th against the pass under first-year coordinator Kelvin Sheppard.
The good news for Detroit? The group might have time to gel. The Lions won’t face a 4,000-yard passer from last season until Week 10 when they face Drake Maye and the Patriots.
8. Saints bringing Cameron Jordan back for 16th season together
After spending months on the market as an unrestricted free agent, Jordan is returning to the only place he knows. Earlier this week, Jordan and the Saints agreed to a one-year deal, bringing him back to the epicenter of beignets and jazz for his 16th season.
Jordan, who turns 37 in July, is coming off a season with 10.5 sacks and 15 quarterback hits, his best figures since the 2021 campaign. While the Saints finished 6–11 last season, they won four of their final five games behind rookie quarterback Tyler Shough, and were only two games behind the first-place Panthers in the NFC South.
For Jordan, the idea of winning his first Super Bowl is likely a long shot, but hosting one more playoff tilt at the Caesars Superdome is very much in play.
9. 49ers continue to play hardball with Brandon Aiyuk
The longest-running soap opera in television history is Guiding Light, spanning an incredible 72 years. Brandon Aiyuk and the Niners are about to blow past that figure if the recent past is any indication.
After voiding $27 million of guaranteed money last summer because San Francisco claimed Aiyuk missed rehab assignments for his torn ACL, MCL and PCL, the 28-year-old receiver never reported to the team throughout the season. In the aftermath, San Francisco brass made it clear it wanted to move on from Aiyuk due to the unsalvageable relationship.
Now: Plot twist! The 49ers are not willing to trade Aiyuk. All this while, many expect him to eventually join theCommanders upon his anticipated release, reuniting with former San Francisco assistant general manager Adam Peters and his college teammate, Jayden Daniels.
The whole thing reeks of a team trying to send a message while the player stands his ground. And frankly, while the 49ers can hold out all they want, at some point the team has to make the practical decision to cut ties and save $6.3 million this year, which can be rolled into 2027 as additional cap space.
10. Minicamps don’t matter for plenty of teams
Every coach makes such a big deal out of showing up for the offseason program, and then so many cancel practices to end their mandatory minicamps. Make it make sense.
The Bengals, who haven’t reached the postseason since 2022, decided to shave two days off the proceedings. The Rams, Broncos, Buccaneers and others, all regular postseason participants, also decided they didn’t need the full docket. They’re just a few examples of a trend that’s gone on for years.
With the NFL likely to have an 18-game schedule soon, the NFLPA will look for avenues to trim its members’ work schedules. The union should start with OTAs and minicamp, giving the players a true break between the end of their respective seasons and training camp.
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MATT VERDERAME
Matt Verderame is a national NFL staff writer for Sports Illustrated, writing features, columns and more. Before joining Sports Illustrated in March 2023, Verderame wrote for FanSided and SB Nation. He’s a proud husband to Stephanie and father of two girls, Maisy and Genevieve. In his spare time, Verderame is an avid collector of vintage baseball cards.
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