Written by: Tyler Deakin
The start of the 2021 NFL season is upon us as training camps across the league are soon set to begin. There’s a unified date for training camps this year, with most teams reporting on July 27th. Exceptions to this rule are the Cowboys (7/21), Steelers (7/21) & Buccaneers (7/25); these teams are playing in the Hall of Fame game (DAL v. PIT) & Thursday night season opener (DAL v. TB) respectively. That said, what are some storylines that fans should be following as training camp approaches? Here is my list of training camp storylines to watch around the NFL.
Quarterback battles
Several teams including the Bears, Broncos, Patriots, Saints, & 49ers are set to begin their training camps with open QB competitions. The Bears are saying all the right things about Andy Dalton as the starting QB, but how long will that last with Justin Fields waiting in the wings? Meanwhile, the Broncos have a very talented roster outside of QB where Teddy Bridgewater & Drew Lock will compete for snaps. Cam Newton & Mac Jones have different skillsets for the Patriots, so it will be interesting to see who wins this battle. This same logic also applies for the Saints with Taysom Hill & Jameis Winston, two QBs who differ in style. Finally, will it be Jimmy Garoppolo or Trey Lance starting at QB for the 49ers this year?
Aaron Rodgers holdout
Speaking of quarterbacks, the 2020 NFL MVP is currently in the midst of a holdout with the Packers. How long will Rodgers’ holdout continue? Rodgers has already made plenty of money in his career; however, sitting out of training camp practices would surely hurt his wallet. This is really the storyline of the offseason this year, as there’s even been speculation that Rodgers could holdout for the entire year or be traded. Will Rodgers report to camp on time?
Deshaun Watson drama
Will Deshaun Watson play football for the Texans (or any other team) this upcoming season? Let’s not forget that this offseason began with questions surrounding Watson’s future with the Texans, as he reportedly didn’t want to play for them anymore. Obviously, the drama since then has revolved around the 22 active civil lawsuits against Watson regarding sexual misconduct practices. My opinion is that he’s unlikely to play this year and will be placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt list until his legal matters are resolved, but nothing is set in stone yet. It’s quite possible that he might have already played his last down for the Texans organization.
Stephon Gilmore holdout
The Patriots notoriously trade or release their veteran players before paying them big money, and that’s exactly the situation they’re in regarding CB Stephon Gilmore. He reportedly wants to be paid amongst the elite corners in the league, which is probably fair given his play the past couple of years. That being said, he has little leverage with the Patriots as his replacement (JC Jackson) is already on their roster. Could Gilmore be traded if he continues holding out from camp practices? I believe this scenario could come to fruition as training camp approaches.
Fresh faces in new places
What do the Chargers, Eagles, Falcons, Jaguars Jets, Lions, & Texans all have in common? They all have brand new head coaches running their teams this year. That means optimism is abound for these teams & their fans, as the league hasn’t yet seen whether or not these coaches will succeed or fail at the NFL level. Personally, I’m excited to see what Arthur Smith will do for the Falcons as a long-suffering Falcons fan. The Chargers could also be set up for success with defensive minded HC Brandon Staley running the show. Finally, it will be interesting to track the development of QB Trevor Lawrence for the Jaguars under Urban Meyer.
Comments