SI:AM | Four Things You Need to Know as NFL Training Camps Begin

Good morning, I’m Dan Gartland. I think yesterday was the slowest sports day of the summer. There were only five MLB games. The WNBA All-Star break started. No World Cup. Good thing the NFL news cycle never stops.

In today’s SI:AM:
👋 Pavia sent packing
🏀 100 days from college hoops
⚾ One MLB trade that must happen

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Training camp underway

The first game of the NFL preseason is less than two weeks away, which means players have already begun reporting to training camps. And that means that they’re already making headlines.

The Cardinals and Panthers, who will play in the Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 6, were the first teams to require their veterans to report to camp. Their veterans had to show up by Wednesday, and everyone else in the league will be required to report no later than this coming Tuesday.

Arizona and Carolina are the only teams that have taken the practice field at this point, but they aren’t the only ones making news. Let’s take a look at a few of the most notable developments across the league as training camps begin.

Ravens cut Heisman runner-up

Former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia won’t be reporting to camp with the rest of the Ravens’ rookies today.

Baltimore waived Pavia yesterday to make room on the roster for veteran center Ethan Pocic. (Pocic, who turns 31 on Aug. 5, was the Browns’ starting center for the past four seasons.)

Usually, no one would pay attention to a team cutting its fifth-string quarterback to make room on the 90-man training camp roster, but Pavia was the most famous fifth-stringer in the NFL. His fearless style of play and fiery personality made him a fan favorite in college—first at New Mexico State, and later at Vanderbilt. He finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting last year after leading the Commodores to their first 10-win season in school history.

But Pavia has well-documented shortcomings (pun very much intended). Listed at 6' tall on the Vanderbilt roster, he measured just 5'10" at the NFL combine. Video of him taking snaps at Baltimore’s rookie minicamp in May went viral because of how much smaller he was than his center.

Pavia could catch on with another team this preseason, but he has other options if he doesn’t. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers hold his CFL negotiating rights, and there’s always the UFL spring league.

Panthers lose pass rusher to season-ending injury

The Panthers have only had one practice, and they’ve already lost a projected starter to a season-ending injury.

Pass rusher Nic Scourton, a 2025 second-round pick who played in all 17 games as a rookie, was carted off the field on Thursday after going down during team drills. He tore his right ACL, according to multiple reports.

The Panthers had hoped that Scourton would play opposite Jaelan Phillips, who signed a four-year, $120 million contract with Carolina in the offseason. They signed UFL sack leader Cam Gill to add depth in the wake of Scourton’s injury.

Cardinals QB takes the field

Veteran Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett surprised everyone by taking the field for practice on Thursday.

Brissett had not practiced during the team’s offseason program as he angled for a new contract. He hasn’t gotten a new deal yet, but he’s decided not to stage a training camp hold-in.

Brissett started 12 games for Arizona last season and is in line to be the starter again this season. His base salary for this season is $4.88 million ($1.5 million of which is guaranteed), and he could earn as much as $5.39 million if he hits various incentives.

That’s a pittance for a veteran starting quarterback (even one who went 1–11 as a starter last season), so you can understand why Brissett would want a raise. Although he doesn’t have a new contract yet, new Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur described negotiations as “productive.”

Mendoza inks rookie deal

The No. 1 pick in the draft has finally signed a contract.

Fernando Mendoza put pen to paper on his rookie deal with the Raiders yesterday, the team announced. It’s a four-year deal worth $57.3 million, plus a team option for the fifth year.

The collective bargaining agreement sets the value of rookie contracts, so there wasn’t much suspense with Mendoza’s deal. But now that he’s signed, he can participate in practices as soon as camp opens and begin challenging Kirk Cousins for the starting spot. Albert Breer reported on Monday that the Raiders “will sprinkle Mendoza in with the first team this summer.” It doesn’t sound like Las Vegas will stage a full-blown quarterback competition, but Mendoza will be able to accelerate his development by getting some work with the starters.

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The top five…

… things I saw yesterday:
5. Ernie Clement’s hustle and awareness to score from second on a grounder to third.
4. Braves catcher Drake Baldwin’s home run on a pitch way below the zone.
3. Guardians pitcher Gavin Williams’s immaculate inning.
2. Miguel Merentiel’s deft touch to score for Argentinian soccer club Boca Juniors.
1. Ailana Agbayani’s walk-off single to send the Chicago Bandits to the Athletes Unlimited Softball League championship series, ending the longest game in league history (11 innings). She’s the daughter of former Mets outfielder Benny Agbayani.

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Published 33 seconds ago | Modified 33 seconds agoDAN GARTLAND

Dan Gartland writes Sports Illustrated’s flagship daily newsletter, SI:AM, and is the host of the “Stadium Wonders” video series. He joined the SI staff in 2014, having previously been published on Deadspin and Slate. Gartland, a graduate of Fordham University, is a former Sports Jeopardy! champion (Season 1, Episode 5).

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