(COLTS RELEASE)
COLTS DO NOT PLACE ANY PLAYERS ON PUP LIST TO BEGIN TRAINING CAMP
WESTFIELD, Ind. – The Colts on Tuesday did not place any players on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform or Active/Non-Football Injury list, and will begin training camp practices on Wednesday with a roster nearly at full strength.
The only exception is linebacker Zaire Franklin, who’s recovering from offseason ankle surgery and will begin training camp on the sidelines. Franklin, though, was not placed on PUP and general manager Chris Ballard offered an encouraging update Tuesday on the Pro Bowl linebacker.
“Zaire’s in a good place,” Ballard said. “We think he’s going to be ready pretty quickly. I’ve watched him work out and I think he’ll be ready sooner rather than later.”
Linebacker Jaylon Carlies, who also missed the Colts’ offseason program after undergoing surgery, is cleared to participate in practice.
Defensive end Samson Ebukam, who sustained a season-ending Achilles’ injury a few days into training camp last summer, has been cleared to practice as well, though Ballard said the Colts will monitor Ebukam’s snap volume as he works his way back in. Ebukam led the Colts with 9.5 sacks in 2023.
The Colts also will begin training camp practices with the participation of quarterback Anthony Richardson, who Ballard said Tuesday is “good to go” after a shoulder injury sidelined him for the end of this spring’s offseason program.
AS COLTS BEGIN TRAINING CAMP, QUARTERBACK COMPETITION BETWEEN DANIEL JONES, ANTHONY RICHARDSON COMES INTO FOCUS
WESTFIELD, Ind. – The Colts on Tuesday answered an important question: Yes, Anthony Richardson will be on the field and participating for Wednesday’s curtain-lifting training camp practice.
Now for the next question.
Who will be this team’s starting quarterback?
That answer is not clear here in mid-July, as Richardson and Daniel Jones embark on a high-stakes competition. At some point before the Colts open the 2025 season Sept. 7 against the Miami Dolphins at Lucas Oil Stadium, we’ll have an answer.
“I think when Shane and the staff and I and our (football operations) staff feels like there’s a sure starter, then we’ll move forward,” general manager Chris Ballard said. “Timeline – I can’t put one on it.”
Between July 23 and Aug. 23, the Colts will practice 13 times at Grand Park (including a joint practice with the Green Bay Packers), have a joint practice with the Baltimore Ravens in Maryland, hold a handful of practices at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center and play three preseason games, culminating with Aug. 23’s preseason finale against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Jones and Richardson will play in the preseason – “I think it’s important that they get in the games,” Ballard said – and every practice, scrimmage and game will be evaluated.
“This is when we crank up,” Ballard said.
Richardson missed a handful of practices in June due to a shoulder injury, but Ballard didn’t make it sound as if Jones will enter training camp ahead of the 2023 No. 4 overall pick because of it. We’ll find out Wednesday exactly how head coach Shane Steichen will divide up practice snaps between Jones and Richardson, but the Colts have consistently said this will be an open competition.
Here’s what Ballard, on Tuesday, had to say about Jones and Richardson.
On Jones: “Good dude, really good guy. Centered. He’s been through a lot — he’s seen and been in New York, and the scrutiny on being a top-10 pick is not for everybody and I thought he handled it with grace and class, like you would expect. And that’s who he is. And Daniel’s talented. Daniel’s a very talented player.”
On Richardson: “I think we need to give Anthony every chance to be the best he could be. And I think he can be really good, but things got to come together.”
Ballard, on Richardson, emphasized what the 23-year-old has done in pressure situations in his young career. He pointed to Richardson leading a 23-point second half comeback against the Los Angeles Rams in 2023; a tough-as-nails showing in a win over the New York Jets in 2024; and, more narrowly, a clutch third down completion he had to Michael Pittman Jr. that sealed a win over the Tennessee Titans in 2024.
“There’s been some signs in pressure moments that he can get things done,” Ballard said. “Now we just gotta be able to do it all the time.”
Something the Colts’ quarterback competition has going for it is how similar Jones and Richardson are as quarterbacks – specifically in how they’re able to use their legs as a weapon. Jones enters 2025 averaging 5.5 yards per rush in his career; Richardson’s career mark is 5.7 yards per rush. Only 25 other quarterbacks in NFL history have a career average of at least 5.5 yards per attempt (minimum 100 attempts).
“I think Daniel and Anthony are similar in a lot of ways,” Ballard said. “Gardner (Minshew) and Anthony were completely different, (Joe) Flacco and Anthony were completely different. I think you’ll see more continuity in really all our quarterbacks now, they all have the ability to do some things with their feet. I think you’ll see more of a similar offense with each guy.”
For the Colts’ collection of weapons, navigating a quarterback competition comes with its own set of challenges, but none that are too hard to overcome – and none that would lead Ballard, Steichen and the team’s decision-makers to speed up their process in naming a starter.
“A lot of chemistry comes from just being cool with the quarterback, so I feel like that’s not a hard thing to do when you’ve got two great guys with you,” wide receiver Josh Downs said. “They’re both really good players and that’s just what we have to do at this point.”
Eventually, we’ll get an answer on who the Colts’ Week 1 starting quarterback will be. The Colts will let the process play out, expecting that within it, competition will make both quarterbacks – and, by association, their team – better.
But there’s also no diminishing how important the next few weeks will be for the Colts. This is a franchise that hasn’t reached the playoffs since 2020. And to get back, the Colts will need more out of their quarterback position than they’ve had in years past.
“I think we’ve done some good things with the team, but at the end of the day, the one position we all know — we have to get the quarterback settled,” Ballard said. “That position carries such an importance to the state of our team when you got that position solidified. He’s one of 53, and it’s not all about him, but he’s an important piece.”
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BENGALS’ TREY HENDRICKSON DOES NOT REPORT TO TRAINING CAMP AMID CONTRACT DISPUTE
CINCINNATI (AP) — All-Pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson will not be with the Cincinnati Bengals for the start of training camp.
As Bengals veterans reported on Tuesday, Hendrickson posted on his Instagram reel that he is in Florida.
Hendrickson is seeking a long-term extension with an amount of guaranteed money that matches what the league’s top pass rushers are earning. He is scheduled to earn $15.8 million in base salary this season and has a cap number of $18.7 million.
He did not attend last month’s mandatory minicamp, but did make an appearance during an offseason workout in May to vent his frustrations about negotiations.
“I’m not looking to offend Trey by saying something, and I’m not looking to try to justify where we are. I think we’re in a good spot,” owner Mike Brown said on Monday. “I hope this thing comes together soon, and I’m just going to leave it at that. You guys can say what you want. I’m not going to say very much until it gets done, and then I’m just going to say we’re glad to have him.”
Hendrickson led the league with 17 1/2 sacks last season. His 57 sacks since joining the Bengals in 2021 are third most in the league over the past four seasons.
Hendrickson’s frustration has continued to mount since the Bengals signed wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to lucrative extensions in March.
Chase’s $161 million contract made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL at the time, and Higgins’ $115 million deal made him one of the league’s top 10 highest-paid receivers.
“We get to this point in the year, and there’s always Chase to sign, or there’s Joe Burrow to sign, this year Hendrickson to sign. There seems to be somebody, and that’s alright, that’s how the system works. We try to get it done, and we’re still in there trying,” Brown said.
Hendrickson is a valuable piece to a defense looking to improve with Al Golden in his first season as coordinator. The Bengals (9-8 last season) finished 25th in the league in total defense (348.3 yards allowed per game) and lost four games last season in which they scored at least 30 points.
The Bengals are also missing first-round pick Shemar Stewart as the two sides are deadlocked over contract language that could void future guarantees if there are any off-field incidents.
The defensive end, the 17th overall pick in April’s draft, is the only first-round pick who hasn’t signed.
CHIEFS OPEN TRAINING CAMP FOCUSED ON SUPER BOWL REDEMPTION FOLLOWING HUMBLING LOSS TO PHILADELPHIA
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Andy Reid stood before his players before the start of training camp this week, just as the longtime Kansas City Chiefs coach does every year, and impressed upon the reigning AFC champions the importance of urgency.
Patrick Mahomes saw no such need to deliver a message.
Not with the way last season ended with a lopsided loss to the Eagles in the Super Bowl.
“I think enough was spoken after that game,” the two-time MVP quarterback said. “But I think when you go back to OTAs and back to minicamp and stuff like that, the guys had that mindset. You could tell by the pep in their step and just in the little talks that guys have throughout the team. I don’t think anything really needs to be said when you get beat like that.
“Everybody knows,” Mahomes said, “that we’ve got to be better.”
That underscores the level of expectations in Kansas City these days.
The Chiefs still finished 15-2, tied with the Lions for the best record in the NFL, and won their ninth consecutive AFC West title by four games over the second-place Chargers. With the benefit of home-field advantage, the Chiefs rolled past Houston and narrowly beat Buffalo in the playoffs to reach the Super Bowl with a chance for an historic three-peat.
Yet the game in New Orleans last February seemed over before it even began.
Philadelphia led 7-0 after the first quarter, scored two more touchdowns in the second and took a 24-0 lead into the break, and then cruised through the second half to a 40-22 victory. It offered the Eagles some modicum of revenge after a loss to Mahomes and Co. in the big game two years earlier, and it left the Chiefs feeling wounded for the first time in years.
“Obviously we didn’t play the way we wanted to play on a national stage. A worldwide stage,” said Mahomes, who was sacked six times by the Eagles and threw two interceptions in the game. “You want to go out there and be better.”
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach spent the offseason trying to fix many of their ills.
He signed 49ers offensive tackle Jaylon Moore and drafted Josh Simmons in the first round to address a pressing need for protecting Mahomes’ blind side. He signed Kristian Fulton to solidify the cornerback position, brought in Jerry Tillery to bolster the pass rush, and signed Elijah Mitchell to work alongside Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt in the backfield.
More recently, Veach has taken care of the Chiefs’ own. In the span of a week, Trey Smith set the market for a guard with a four-year, $94 million deal and pass rusher George Karlaftis signed a four-year, $93 million extension.
Cornerback Trent McDuffie, who like Karlaftis was a first-round pick in 2022, could be next in line for a big contract.
In the case of those two, every season Karlaftis and McDuffie have played in the NFL has ended in the Super Bowl, with two rings to show for their efforts. But it seems like the one that got away has overshadowed any of the successes.
“We wanted to finish better,” Karlaftis said simply, reflecting on last season. “We just want to finish our season better.”
The work for that began Tuesday amid oppressive heat and humidity at Missouri Western State University.
“(The Super Bowl loss) kind of helps you out on some of those extra workouts that you don’t want to do, or some of the different stuff in order to get better for next season, and kind of keeps that in your mind,” Mahomes said.
“Now we’re here. We’re here to start over. ‘How can I get better for my teammates? How can I get better for the guys beside me?’ And then go out there and attack so that we can find a way to win that last game, and not lose it.”
GIANTS SIGN SAFETY K’VON WALLACE ON THE EVE OF THE 1ST PRACTICE OF TRAINING CAMP
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The New York Giants added some secondary depth on the eve of the first practice of training camp by signing safety K’Von Wallace.
Wallace, who attended minicamp in June on a tryout basis, posted to social media a photo Tuesday of him signing a contract, and the team announced the deal not long after. It was not immediately clear what the corresponding roster move would be to add Wallace.
The soon-to-be 28-year-old missed the second half of last season after injuring his right ankle Nov. 3 in Seattle’s overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He made 15 tackles and forced a fumble during his nine games with the Seahawks before landing on injured reserve.
Wallace is expected to compete for a reserve spot behind starters Jevon Holland and Tyler Nubin and could contribute on special teams.
A fourth-round pick by Philadelphia in 2020 out of Clemson, Wallace spent his first three NFL seasons with the Eagles and has also played for Arizona and Tennessee. He has appeared in 75 regular-season and playoff games, starting 19 of them.
DOLPHINS’ HILL: ‘I NEED TO BE BETTER AS A LEADER’
Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill said he wanted out of Miami at the end of last season as the team missed the playoffs. On reflection, he thinks his response left something to be desired.
“I’ve always been a competitor, dog. … In those moments like that, I need to be better as a leader,” Hill said Tuesday when asked about his comments, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s David Furones.
He added: “As a leader of this team and also as a leader of this community, I just need to be better. … There’s a ton of little kids that look up to me as a player, as a role model.”
After the Week 18 loss to the New York Jets, Hill suggested to reporters that it would be best for his career and his family if the Dolphins traded him. Miami held onto Hill, and he’s set to begin his fourth season with the Dolphins since being acquired from the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022.
Hill led the league in receiving yards (1,799) and receiving touchdowns (13) in 2023 en route to a first-team All-Pro nomination. However, his stats sharply declined last season as he averaged just 56.4 receiving yards per game with six scores.
The 31-year-old suited up in all 17 contests but dealt with a wrist injury throughout the campaign. He underwent surgery to repair ligament damage this offseason.
“I feel back to being myself. No pain. No complaints,” Hill said of his wrist, according to the Miami Herald’s Omar Kelly.
The Dolphins kick off their season Sept. 7 against the Indianapolis Colts.
RAMS RB KYREN WILLIAMS REPORTS, QB MATTHEW STAFFORD NURSING BACK ISSUE
Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams reported to training camp Tuesday while seeking a new contract and the status of his quarterback was a surprise.
Williams said he plans to participate in practice, but head coach Sean McVay said Matthew Stafford was not ready to practice because of a sore back. McVay said the issue is not expected to be a problem into the regular season in September.
Williams told reporters that he anticipates completing a contract extension, however there is no timeline to do so. He also said he plans to be ready to play in the season opener even if he has not signed a new deal.
“For me there was no decision,” Williams said of whether or not to show up at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.
“I play football. That’s what I do, that’s what I love. At the end of the day, I do this not for the money, not for the fame or the popularity but to take care of my family. … For me, it’s a lot bigger than a contract negotiation. For me, it’s putting my feet on the ground and continue to get better.”
Williams, 25, is entering the final season of his rookie deal and has a base salary of $5.35 million, per Spotrac.
He made a huge impact in 2024, recording career highs in carries (316), rushing yards (1,299) and rushing touchdowns (14). He has rushed for 2,582 yards and totaled 31 touchdowns (26 rushing, five receiving) in 38 games since being selected by the Rams in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Last season, Williams became the third Rams player age 24 or younger to have at least 27 scrimmage touchdowns in a two-year span. He joined Todd Gurley (40, 2017-18) and Hall of Fame member Eric Dickerson (34, 1983-84) on the short list.
TE JIMMY GRAHAM SET TO RETIRE WITH THE SAINTS
Tight end Jimmy Graham confirmed a report from the New Orleans Saints’ team website that he plans to officially announce his retirement in the near future.
Graham, 38, is expected to make this announcement as a member of the Saints, with whom he spent the first five seasons of his career before rejoining the club in 2023 for his final 13 NFL games.
“What a journey,” the five-time Pro Bowl selection posted on X. He also included black and gold hearts and a praying hands emoji.
Graham recorded 719 receptions for 8,545 yards and 89 touchdowns in 197 career games with the Saints (2010-14, 2023), Seattle Seahawks (2015-17), Green Bay Packers (2018-19) and Chicago Bears (2020-21).
Graham, who did not play in 2024, was selected by New Orleans in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Including the playoffs, his 94 career touchdowns rank fifth all-time among tight ends.
REPORT: BILLS RB JAMES COOK TO ATTEND TRAINING CAMP
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook plans to report to training camp while seeking a new contract from the team, NFL Network reported Tuesday.
Cook, who is seeking a deal worth at least $15 million per season, is set to make $5.271 million in base salary in the fourth and final year of his rookie deal in 2025. He would become an unrestricted free agent in 2026 if he doesn’t get a new deal with Buffalo.
Cook did not attend the voluntary portions of Buffalo’s offseason program, however he was there for minicamp.
Cook, 25, made the Pro Bowl and rushed for more than 1,000 yards for the second straight season in 2024, leading the NFL with 16 rushing touchdowns.
He has rushed for 2,638 yards and 20 TDs and caught 97 passes for 883 yards and seven scores in 49 games since being drafted in the second round in 2022.
PATRIOTS WR STEFON DIGGS CLEARED FOR TRAINING CAMP
Stefon Diggs enters training camp with no restrictions and was medically cleared to join the New England Patriots on the field for the start of practices this week.
Diggs was deemed recovered from a torn ACL, which ended his 2024 season with the Houston Texans. Houston acquired Diggs from the Buffalo Bills before last season and he caught 47 passes in eight games before he was lost for the season Oct. 27 against the Indianapolis Colts.
He caught six passes for 77 yards and a touchdown against the Patriots on Oct. 13.
Diggs, 31, signed with the Patriots in March, landing a three-year, $69 million contract.
New England knew his work well from Diggs’ four highly productive seasons with the Buffalo Bills (2020-23), a run of consecutive Pro Bowl campaigns during which he caught at least 103 passes each year.
MATTHEW STAFFORD DEALING WITH SORE BACK AT START OF RAMS TRAINING CAMP
Like many men of a certain age, Matthew Stafford is dealing with a sore back.
The Los Angeles Rams quarterback will begin training camp in a limited capacity, working off to the side, head coach Sean McVay said on Tuesday when players reported for camp. The coach downplayed the injury, suggesting it’s not expected to be a major issue moving forward.
“Matthew’s feeling good. He had a little bit of soreness in his back that kind of crept up. He’s been throwing, feeling good, it’s not anything that’s necessarily new, it’s something he’s dealt with before,” he said.
“Going into Year 17 we were going to take a modified approach with him, kind of similar to what we did in the offseason program, so we’ll allow him to just work kind of off to the side on his own, get himself feeling as good as possible, and then he’ll be ready for block 2, which will really represent once we finish the five-day acclimation period. He feels good about that, I feel good about that, and ultimately it’s about having him feel as good as possible mentally, physically, emotionally, going into Year 17.”
Considering he’s 37 years old, it’s not a surprise that Stafford might need a little more of a ramp-up period to training camp than the rest of his younger teammates. This situation sounds less ominous than the 2022 offseason when Stafford dealt with a lingering elbow issue that led to arm fatigue and curtailed his camp.
McVay’s willingness to put a five-day timeline on Stafford highlights that the team views it as a minor issue. If the Super Bowl-winning QB isn’t back at the anticipated time, then eyebrows can be raised.
BROWNS PLACE DESHAUN WATSON ON PUP LIST AS HE IS EXPECTED TO MISS THE SEASON
BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Deshaun Watson was placed on the physically unable to perform list by the Cleveland Browns as veterans reported to training camp on Tuesday.
Watson could potentially miss the entire 2025 season while recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in January. That occurred just three months after he initially injured it against Cincinnati.
Watson is 9-10 since being acquired by Cleveland in 2023 with 19 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a 80.7 passer rating. Owner Jimmy Haslam acknowledged during the league meetings in March the Browns “took a big swing and miss” with the trade.
Watson has been rehabbing at the team complex and was in meetings during the offseason program with Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
Cleveland acquired Pickett in a trade from Philadelphia in March and signed Flacco in April. It drafted Gabriel in the third round and then moved up in the fifth round to take Sanders.
The four-way quarterback competition resumes with Wednesday’s first practice of training camp.
The Browns also placed defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. on the PUP list and wide receiver David Bell on the non-football injury list.
Hall suffered a knee-injury in last season’s final game at Baltimore.
Cleveland also waived wide receiver Jaelen Gill.
VIKINGS REPORT FOR CAMP REALIZING THE HARD WORK REQUIRED TO BETTER A 14-WIN SEASON
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings were just hours into their offseason, eliminated from the playoffs with a lopsided loss, when Jonathan Greenard was moved to challenge himself and his teammates to embrace the hard work of trying to better a 14-4 record and avoid another one-and-done.
“More is required,” the veteran edge rusher posted on social media.
Three months later, Greenard’s spontaneous slogan turned into a T-shirt. The motivational swag was waiting for every player at his locker upon arrival for the start of strength and conditioning sessions in the spring.
“You can only control your individual effort, and as long as you do that, you’re going to pull somebody else and they’re going to see that and it’s going to be infectious for the whole team, the whole building,” Greenard said earlier in the offseason, explaining the purpose of spreading the word beyond a simple tweet.
The mantra has resonated throughout a well-regarded organization that will again field a well-built roster in 2025 but still faces questions about its viability as a championship contender.
The Vikings, of course, are one of the few NFL teams that have existed for the entire Super Bowl era but never won one.
“Because clearly that scale hasn’t been tipped for us,” right tackle Brian O’Neill said, “and we need to find a way to make that happen.”
As players reported to training camp this week, coach Kevin O’Connell turned up the volume on the messaging. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell each signed contract extensions during the offseason, keeping their job statuses in sync as they embark on their fourth year together while also raising the bar for expectations. The Vikings have not won a playoff game since they arrived, a drought going back to the 2019 season.
“We feel proud of some of the things we’ve accomplished, but at the same time I think it’s time for all of us to continue to look inward first,” O’Connell said Tuesday at a joint news conference with Adofo-Mensah to formally kick off the season. “It’s time for us to acknowledge what we’re actually trying to build here, and what that’s going to take is — in my opinion — an invisible presence of understanding that we’re capable but we’ve got to put in a lot of work to feel totally worthy in those moments to get to where we want to get to.”
Darrisaw highlights list of healthy players
The Vikings started only two players on the physically unable to perform list: tight end Gavin Bartholomew (back), their sixth-round draft pick, and linebacker Chaz Chambliss (foot), an undrafted rookie.
That means left tackle Christian Darrisaw, who’s recovering from reconstructive knee surgery after tearing his ACL last year, and new right guard Will Fries, whose 2024 season with the Indianapolis Colts ended early because of a broken leg, are right on track. O’Connell said both players would likely be limited to individual drills at the beginning of training camp to complete the ramping-up process, but the likelihood of having both key blockers ready for Week 1 is a vital boost for quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
Addison could face suspension after resolution of court case
Wide receiver Jordan Addison last week pleaded guilty to a lesser charge that resolved his 2024 drunken driving citation, clearing the way for potential discipline from the league. Adofo-Mensah said the Vikings have not been given an indication about the timing of such a decision.
“Obviously, when that originally happened, we knew that it was a possibility, but really you’re talking about team building in general: You might not have players on the field for various reasons, and you’ve always got to be ready with depth,” Adofo-Mensah said.
