NFL 2026 minicamp takeaways: Browns’ Deshaun Watson-Shedeur Sanders competition heating up
Mandatory NFL minicamps are the last event of the offseason program before the league can officially enter its summer vacation until training camps kick off at the end of July. Half of the league wrapped up their mandatory minicamps this week while the New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders, Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will conclude their respective minicamps on June 18 next week. Per the NFL’s collective bargaining rules, live contact isn’t allowed for players just yet — that has to wait for training camp — but there are still things that can be learned from the league’s final practices of the spring. Trade rumors, injury updates, reports on who is breaking out for more play time or a bigger role, vibe checks and more can all be gleaned from minicamps around the NFL. Let’s take a look at some of the top takeaways from 16 of the NFL’s 32 teams that used this week to finish their offseason program before going into a summer hibernation.
Arizona CardinalsMandatory minicamp dates: June 8-10Josh Sweat trade rumors aren’t going awayPro Bowl edge rusher Josh Sweat is fresh off a career year in 2025 with a career-high 12.0 sacks, a figure which ranked tied for the eighth-most in the NFL last season. However following the firing of head coach Jonathan Gannon, there have been rumors the 29-year-old would like a trade elsewhere. Sweat, who played under Gannon when the latter was the defensive coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles, signed a four-year, $76.4 million contract with $41 million guaranteed to follow his old DC out west to Arizona.
In Gannon’s absence, Sweat showed up to mandatory minicamp for new head coach Mike LaFleur, but Sweat didn’t participate, which sparked trade rumors. LaFleur said on Tuesday that Sweat’s lack of participation in on-field activity had nothing to do with an injury as well, but he claims there’s no “situation” with Sweat. This will be a storyline to monitor all offseason.
Baltimore RavensMandatory minicamp dates: June 9-11All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith, Ravens defense eyeing bounce back under new head coach Jesse MinterIn 2023, the Baltimore Ravens were the NFL’s No. 1 scoring defense, allowing just 16.5 points per game, with inside linebacker Roquan Smith earning first-team All-Pro honors. In 2024, the Ravens remained a top 10 scoring defense allowing the ninth-fewest points per game (21.2), and Smith once again took home first-team All-Pro honors.
Both the Ravens and Smith regressed in 2025 with Baltimore surrendering 23.4 points per game, 18th in the league, and Pro Football Focus graded Smith as the NFL’s 20th-best linebacker with a 74.5 defensive grade. His 130 tackles were his fewest since 2019 when he had 101, his career low, in his second NFL season. Smith spent two games on the sideline with a hamstring injury, and he’s ready to show what he and the Ravens defense can do under new management in 2026. “It wasn’t the season I wanted to have, regardless of the circumstances,” Smith said, via The Athletic. “No excuses at all, but it wasn’t a season of my standard. I feel like you have to start with yourself before going anywhere else.” Minter spent the prior two seasons as the Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator, and he comes to Baltimore after leading two top 10 defenses the last two seasons. His Chargers were the league’s No. 1 scoring defense in 2024, allowing just 17.7 points per game, and the NFL’s ninth-best scoring defense (20.0 points per game allowed) in 2025. Minter’s Chargers also profiled as one of the NFL’s best pass defenses in 2025, leading the league in both interception to touchdown ratio allowed (16-19) and passer rating allowed (75.0).
“It’s a great opportunity for all of us to show who we are,” Smith said of playing for Minter and having a clean slate in 2026.
Buffalo Bills Mandatory minicamp dates: June 9-11New Bills WR DJ Moore making a nice early impressionThe Buffalo Bills gave up a high-level draft pick, a 2026 second-round pick, to acquire wide receiver DJ Moore and a 2026 fifth-round pick from the Chicago Bears this offseason in order to provide 2024 NFL MVP quarterback Josh Allen a true, go-to wide receiver. Arguably the best two-season stretch of Moore’s career was when he was playing in new Bills head coach Joe Brady’s offense with the Carolina Panthers during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. That’s when Moore racked up 159 catches and 2,350 yards receiving in a two-season span. Moore’s 2,350 yards receiving across 2020 and 2021 with Brady as his Panthers offensive coordinator ranked as the seventh-most in the league at the time. The present day Moore at the age of 29 has Brady fired up in his first Buffalo minicamp. “I was so excited when we traded for him, and I’m more excited after getting to work with him for an offseason,” Brady told reporters. “His demeanor, his approach, his leadership… He’s out there and available. I think there’s so much to that, and he’s leading in the room. … It’s really cool to see. I’m really excited to see where he’s at right now.”
Carolina Panthers Mandatory minicamp dates: June 9-11Panthers finding out what they have at wide receiver outside of 2025 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan’s absence provides an opening for the rest of quarterback Bryce Young’s receiving core to assert themselves.”Obviously, it’s never as fun not having him in there,” Young said, via the team’s official website. “But actually, I was talking to Brad (Idzik, the offensive coordinator) about this on the walk over, I think it can be good for us at this time, at this period where it’s about developing. For me, you have a guy like that that’s your safety blanket that you know all right, one on one, this is where I want to go, it gives you that opportunity. Let’s work out some progressions. Let’s see everyone run all these routes. Our guys have done a great job of responding. There’s no hiccup. We’re fortunate to have a lot of guys who can shoulder a lot of roles, and they’ve been doing a great job stepping up.”
McMillan said, via The Athletic, he’s just dealing with a foot that’s “just a little sore.” That’s why head coach Dave Canales is being cautious with working McMillan back in the fold at minicamp, but the good news is that McMillan said it’s not an injury that will require any type of surgical procedure. Canales noted that veteran David Moore and 2026 third-round pick Chris Brazzell II received extra reps at McMillan’s spot in his absence.
Chicago Bears Mandatory minicamp dates: June 9-11The 2026 season may be an ideal time to select TE Colston Loveland in Fantasy footballChicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland, the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, started off his NFL career slowly, but he erupted down the stretch. Loveland produced consecutive 90-yard receiving games in Weeks 17 and 18 before torching the Green Bay Packers for a career-high 137 yards receiving on eight catches in Chicago’s 31-27 comeback, wild card-round win. Entering Year 2, the drumbeat could not be louder for Loveland. He finished the 2025 regular season with 58 catches for 713 yards receiving and six touchdowns with his 58 catches setting a new Bears rookie tight end record.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson can sometimes come off as gruff in his public remarks, but he went out of his way to shower Loveland with praise on Tuesday at minicamp. It’s safe to say Loveland will be a featured pass catcher in Johnson’s Bears offense in 2026. “I love what he brings to the table. He’s one of the most consistent players I’ve ever been around, and that’s saying a lot for a young guy because I think it takes a while before guys truly understand what it means to be a professional,” Johnson told reporters on Tuesday. He’s early. He’s always in his playbook. … I think he really thrives with being available in the pressure moments. That’s the type of guy that he wants to be. A lot of trust with the coaching staff, quarterbacks. I’m really happy with where he is at right now. We are able to take the route tree to the next level, and it’s something we’re going to continue to develop in training camp as well.”
Cleveland Browns Mandatory minicamp dates: June 9-11Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson remain in close QB competition, split first-team reps on final day of minicamp
The Cleveland Browns’ 2026 quarterback competition between two of the NFL’s most polarizing quarterbacks, Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson, remains neck and neck ahead of the NFL summer break. Sanders, polarizing because of a rabid fan base and up-and-down play, registered a 57% completion percentage with seven passing touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a 68.1 passer rating in 2025. The Browns won three of his seven starts while Sanders adjusted to the speed of the NFL game: he faced pressure on an NFL-high 51% of his dropbacks since his NFL debut in Week 11 despite being blitzed at the seventh-lowest rate in the NFL (24%) in this span. Sanders’ weakness, holding on to the football too long when dropping back to pass, remains his weak spot as it was in college at Colorado: his average time to throw of 3.40 seconds ranked as the longest in the NFL among the 36 quarterbacks with at least 200 pass attempts in 2025. Watson’s Browns tenure has been nothing short of a nightmare. Cleveland traded three first-round picks (2022, 2023 and 2024), a 2022 fourth-round pick, a 2023 third-round pick and a 2024 fourth-round pick for Watson and a 2024 sixth-round pick in March 2022. Cleveland then inked Watson to a five-year, fully guaranteed deal worth $230 million. Between being sued by 25-plus women for varying degrees of sexual assault, which resulted in an 11-game suspension in 2022, and suffering season-ending injuries in 2023 (shoulder), 2024 (Achilles) and 2025 (Achilles), it’s fair to say the trade and extension of Watson has been the worst transaction in sports history. He now enters the final year of his contract in 2026, and the former three-time Pro Bowl quarterback is neck and neck with Sanders to start for new head coach Todd Monken in the upcoming season.
“It’s been great to watch them progress,” Monken said Wednesday, via the team’s official website. “It’s been fun to watch those guys compete, the whole room. They’re really smart guys. Highly competitive and they’ve come a long way. I’m excited about the room.”
Green Bay PackersMandatory minicamp dates: June 9-11Expectations are rising for former first-round pick edge rusher Lukas Van NessGreen Bay Packers edge rusher Lukas Van Ness, the 13th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, is starting to show some flashes. Whether it’s tackles for loss or pressures/sacks on quarterback Jordan Love, he’s made his presence felt throughout the week of mandatory minicamp. That’s something he and others in Green Bay are taking note of. With just 8.5 sacks in three seasons, including a career-low 1.5 in just nine games played in 2025, 2026 marks a make-or-break campaign for Van Ness.”My goal for this year is getting back to really having fun with football and just enjoying it. I think I’m doing that,” Van Ness said Tuesday, via Sports Illustrated.
With All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons sidelined for at least the first month of the upcoming season while completing his recovery from a torn ACL, he believes Van Ness will be the Packers’ top pass rusher in his absence. “I think Luke is someone that people sleep on the most, and I don’t know why. I think by the end of this season, if Luke stays healthy, I think he’ll probably be the favorite. That’s how much confidence I have in him,” Parsons said, via WISCTV News 3 Now.
Houston TexansMandatory minicamp dates: June 9-11Competition wide open to be Texans’ No. 3 edge rusherThe Houston Texans have the best pass-rush duo in the NFL: 2025 first-team All-Pro edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. and 2025 second-team All-Pro edge rusher Danielle Hunter have combined for 50.0 sacks since 2024 — the most by a teammate duo in that span. Who will get the rotational reps outside of Hunter and Anderson Jr.? “We’re excited about the D-line that we have,” Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said on Tuesday, via Yahoo Sports. “We’ll continue to roll our guys as much as possible. That’s how we operate. We really want eight, nine guys who can go out there and play in a rotation. We’re still figuring out who those eight or nine guys will be. It’ll be really tough competition in training camp that I’m excited to see, excited to really see our young guys in the interior to see how they perform in camp.”Comments like that make it seem like the door is open for 2023 fourth-round pick Dylan Horton to seize snaps, but the same could be said for veterans like Dominique Robinson, Ali Gaye and others.
Indianapolis ColtsMandatory minicamp dates: June 9-11Colts may not see top wide receiver Alec Pierce on the field for a few monthsThe Indianapolis Colts retained the services of wide receiver Alec Pierce this offseason by making him the highest-paid free agent wide receiver in NFL history with an average per year salary of $29 million on his four-year, $116 million contract. Pierce earned that honor by leading the NFL in yards per reception in both 2024 (22.3) and 2025 (21.3), which made him the first player to average 20-plus yards per reception in consecutive seasons since Flipper Anderson in 1989 and 1990. However, Pierce won’t be on the field for the next four to six months after undergoing left ankle surgery in March. The 26-year-old labeled the injury as something that’s been bothering him since 2024. “It definitely got a little bit worse as the season went and probably the last month, I’d say I was kind of struggling … Taking some days off (from practice) and stuff. I’m glad they kind of figured out what the issue was,” Pierce said Wednesday, via ESPN. … “I think obviously we want the (return) to be as early as possible,” he said. “But you’ve kind of got to let your body guide yourself and see how you feel. Because what I’m learning with the rehab is the more you overdo it, the more sore you get. It kind of can sometimes be counterproductive.”
Jacksonville JaguarsMandatory minicamp dates: June 9-11Wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. is getting his swagger backJacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., the 23rd overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, exploded onto the scene his rookie year to earn an early Pro Bowl selection. He racked up 87 catches for 1,282 yards receiving and 10 receiving touchdowns, which made him only the fourth player in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) with at least 1,200 yards receiving and 10-plus receiving touchdowns as a rookie. The other three are Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss (1998), three-time Pro Bowler Odell Beckham Jr. (2014) and All-Pro wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (2021).However, Thomas Jr. regressed in Year 2 under new Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, totaling 48 catches for 707 yards receiving and two receiving touchdowns in 2025. That regression prompted Jacksonville to trade a 2026 fourth-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders last November to acquire wide receiver Jakobi Meyers via trade. Thomas Jr. ended up catching a 3-yard passing touchdown in the team’s 27-24 wild card round home loss against the Buffalo Bills, but he finished with just 21 yards receiving and two catches that day. It appears as though Lawrence and Thomas Jr.’s connection is beginning to reignite in minicamp entering the second season with Coen calling the offensive plays in Jacksonville. “Having a great attitude. After every play, communication with myself or Trevor… or whatever it is, and then making the plays,” head coach Liam Coen said Wednesday. “That is something that you can not simulate in routes on air. You can not simulate that type of confidence until you do it in practice. … The confidence of the connection and chemistry that they’re (Lawrence and Thomas Jr.) building, that’s real.”
Kansas City ChiefsMandatory minicamp dates: June 9-11Patrick Mahomes isn’t going anywhere anytime soonBeing fresh off tearing his ACL and LCL in 2025 didn’t stop the Kansas City Chiefs from continuing to show their faith in three-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes. They extended Mahomes’ contract by two seasons, which increases the total value of the contract up to $504.75 million, per CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones. Mahomes now owns the distinction of being the first player in NFL history with a total contract value of over half a billion dollars, and his new $64 million average per year salary is once again the highest in the entire league. The new money in his contract will go into effect in 2027, and Mahomes is now locked in with Kansas City through 2033.
Las Vegas RaidersMandatory minicamp dates: June 9-11Kirk Cousins remains the favorite to start in Week 1 entering training campCousins, who signed a one-year, fully guaranteed $11.3 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders, is being treated like the team’s starting quarterback over 2026 NFL Draft first overall pick Fernando Mendoza early on this offseason. Raiders.com reported Cousins took some limited reps at the start of practice, which included a 40-yard touchdown pass to top returning wide receiver Tre Tucker, before Mendoza and Aidan O’Connell split time in both 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 drills. The 37-year-old, four-time Pro Bowler doesn’t sound concerned about the youthful competition in Las Vegas’ quarterback room. “They’re fun to work with,” Cousins said Tuesday, via Raiders.com. “We have fun in the meetings, have good dialog. They’re great football minds, great studiers, so they can push me. I think to say I’m mentoring them is a bit of a reach … I’m learning a lot from them too and asking questions of them. And so, it’s always been a working force together in the quarterback room, and that’s what it is.”
New York GiantsMandatory minicamp dates: June 8-10Giants maintaining belief that Pro Bowl wide receiver Malik Nabers will be good to go for Week 1Nabers’ torn ACL he suffered in 2025, which included a full meniscus repair and an extra surgical procedure to remove inflamed scar tissue, requires a complicated recovery. That’s why he told new Giants head coach John Harbaugh that he’ll spend much of his time off during the summer break rehabbing at the team facility. “He said his plan is to be here most of the time; almost all the time, he’ll be here, I believe. I don’t think he will be here all the time. He’s going to be here a lot, working really hard,” Harbaugh said Wednesday, via Sports Illustrated. “He’s making really good progress right now. I’m very hopeful that he’ll be back soon.”Harbaugh estimated that Nabers is somewhere between 70 and 80 percent healthy, a figure that opens the door to the possibility of New York’s top target being on the field in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys on “Sunday Night Football.”
San Francisco 49ersMandatory minicamp dates: June 9-10Mike Evans emerging as an early top targetSix-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans produced 1,000-plus receiving yards in each of his first 11 NFL seasons from 2014 to 2024 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, tying San Francisco 49ers legend Jerry Rice for the longest streak of consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons in league history. Now, Evans is looking to continue to make a similar impact in Rice’s old stomping grounds as a 49er after signing with San Francisco on what essentially amounts as a one-year, fully guaranteed contract for $14.3 million this offseason at the age of 33.Evans’ transition to head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense has been smooth so far. All-Pro tight end George Kittle said, via 49ers.com, that Evans reeled in “three to five touchdowns” in one of San Francisco’s first practices of the offseason program and that he adds a “new dimension” to the 49ers’ offense.
Philadelphia EaglesMandatory minicamp dates: June 9-10Tariq Woolen flashing at the conclusion of minicampWoolen, standing at 6-foot-4-inches tall and weighing 210 pounds, is one of the most physically gifted cornerbacks in football. That physicality helped him burst onto the scene as a rookie with the Seattle Seahawks in 2022 when he co-led the NFL with six interceptions in then-head coach Pete Carroll’s Cover 3 scheme. After winning the Super Bowl with the Seahawks to conclude the 2025 season, he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles on a one-year, fully guaranteed $12 million contract. He’s impressed with the Eagles thus far with the highlight being an interception of Super Bowl LIX MVP quarterback Jalen Hurts on Wednesday, per NBC Sports Philadelphia. Woolen jumped a throw intended for tight end Dallas Goedert to haul in a smooth interception.Notably grumpy defensive coordinator Vic Fangio likes what he sees from Woolen thus far, sharing a big smile with one of his newest pupils at practice on Wednesday.
Seattle SeahawksMandatory minicamp dates: June 9-11Versatile safety Nick Emmanwori could be even scarier in 2026Emmanwori, a 2025 second-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks, played a key role as a jack of trades defender in Mike Macdonald’s “Dark Side” defense that powered Seattle to a Super Bowl title in the 2025 season. He ranked top three on the Seahawks in tackles (81, third), passes defended (11, third) and tackles for loss (9, tied for third with 2025 second-team All-Pro defensive lineman Leonard Williams). Emmanwori thrived as a blitzing pass rusher as well, leading all NFL defensive backs with 18 quarterback pressures in 2025. The way Macdonald opted to use him mirrored his deployment of All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton in the former’s final season as the Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator in 2023 before he took the Seahawks head coaching job in 2024. Emmanwori saw 49% of his snaps at the slot cornerback position and 48% of his snaps at linebacker in 2025 while working as Macdonald’s jack-of-all-trades defensive back. Tackles8181Tackles for loss109QB hits44Passes defended1311All that aforementioned production resulted in an NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year second-place finish in 2025, but Emmanwori could be even more dynamic blitzing off the edge in 2026 thanks to some pointers from five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence.”Just how to win. Easy. Not make it too complicated. A guy like him, he’s done it so long, anything he says is, like, green. Good to go,” Emmanwori said Tuesday, via The News Tribune. “I’m just soaking up as much game as I can from him, and learning from him. He’s just giving me what he’s got.”
Diterbitkan : 2026-06-11 12:49:00
sumber : www.cbssports.com
