When training camps begin, everything is hunky-dory. The grass is green. The players are back and in the best shape of their lives. The new systems are going to help said players reach new heights. No one has lost a game.
And then, as the weeks go on, the bumps and bruises appear. Maybe not every player is going to take that next step. (Duh.) Maybe some even take a step back. Maybe the best-case-scenario outcomes that seemed so likely in late July are looking less and less likely. Every coach wants competition -- for starting spots, for playing time, for roster spots -- but what if those competitions simply aren't up to snuff?
This is the NFL, where a strength one day can be a weakness the next, where hope one day can be worry the next. The rose-colored glasses come off quickly.
The best teams are the ones with the best combinations of talent, depth, luck and coaching, of course, but they're also the ones that can make accurate, level-headed assessments and decisions as the regular season approaches rapidly. What matters and what doesn't in these crucial weeks?
It's important to be urgent but not antsy, and that goes not just for front offices, coaches and players, but for those evaluating all of them as well. As such, we're determining whether some notable training camp storylines are overreactions -- from minor to significant to major -- or not.
Kyler Murray's inconsistency means Vikings are in QB trouble again
Significant overreaction
The Vikings made official Tuesday what had long been expected: Kyler Murray is the Week 1 starter against the Packers. The path to getting there, though, wasn't the most inspiring. Murray basically beat out J.J. McCarthy by default.
It seemed like McCarthy made up ground over the weekend, per Bring Me The Sports' Will Ragatz, when ESPN's Kevin Seifert said Murray had "hit a wall". In a way one could view this as Murray simply retaining his position as the favorite long enough for Kevin O'Connell to make a decision.
It's easy to look at Murray's up-and-down training camp -- coming off a strange, underwhelming, injured finish to his time with the Cardinals -- and think the Vikings are in quarterback purgatory again. But that'd be wrong. Last year, the Vikings were among the worst-quarterbacked teams in the NFL. Murray at his very worst has been roughly average.
Big upgrade in Minnesota?Vikings in 2025Kyler Murray's worst seasonPassing success rate
41.2%
43.0%
EPA per play
-0.11
-0.01
Off-target rate
12.8%
12.4%
Negative play rate
18.2%
10.6%
Murray at his worst is significantly better than what the Vikings produced last year, and one could argue he now has the best supporting cast of his career.
Vikings name Kyler Murray starter: Why it was the right move and why Minnesota might need a new QB in 2027 Garrett Podell
During minicamp, Murray said splitting reps was making his transition to a new team more difficult. If he was always going to be the starter, it makes sense to give him every advantage possible by declaring him the starter even before a preseason game. In fact, Murray had one of his best practices Tuesday, hours after being named starter.
Maybe Murray isn't a great quarterback, or even a good one. But if he can be average, the Vikings, who went 9-8 last year despite awful quarterback play, could get back to the postseason.
A.J. Brown's quiet start is worrisome
Major overreaction
The first big headline to come out of Patriots training camp was A.J. Brown dropping a pass and Mike Vrabel ripping into him. The next big headline was how few headlines Brown was producing. It was a slow start for Brown, and going against elite cornerback Christian Gonzalez certainly contributed. The two have been jawing back and forth, and it escalated during one practice last week.
Worrying about that, though, is a classic training camp overreaction, and a short-sighted one at that. Brown looked good in this week's joint practice with the Colts, beating Sauce Gardner on one route ...
A.J. Brown just DUSTED Sauce Gardner in 1v1s🔥 Patriots fans in attendance LOVE IT -@CLNSMedia pic.twitter.com/0g1GBXTSjf
— Patriots on CLNS (@PatriotsCLNS) August 11, 2026
... and scoring a touchdown on a seven-on-seven rep.
Maye to AJB for 6 pic.twitter.com/f6Ezt7R8Bu
— Matt Couture (@MattCouture5) August 11, 2026
Brown fits Drake Maye's game perfectly, but he admitted it was an adjustment.
"It started off a little slow," Brown said, per ESPN. "Obviously because I'm going against Gonzo and [Maye] is getting to know me more and more. But as these practices have been going, me and him have been picking up very good momentum."
Expect that to continue.
Fernando Mendoza should start Week 1 over Kirk Cousins
Significant overreaction
Let's put this one to bed quickly. Cousins may no longer be a upper-middle or even middle-tier starter, but he can still play. And he should play Week 1 over Fernando Mendoza. Take it from ESPN's Ryan McFadden:
"He has played solely with the starters, as expected, and has looked better than Mendoza and Aidan O'Connell. Cousins has been efficient and has rarely put the ball in harm's way. On top of that, the players have brought Cousins in as one of the leaders on the team."
Plus, Tom Brady doesn't like rookie quarterbacks playing right away, either.
It behooves Mendoza to sit at least a few weeks, to learn the ins and outs of weekly game prep, to learn what Cousins sees in-game, to not be thrown into the fire too early. Mendoza won't succeed (or fail) because he got his first start in Week 5 rather than in Week 1.
Parker Washington will lead Jaguars in receiving yards
Not an overreaction
I see a lot of social media posts during training camp because, as I've noted, training camp is a time for reactions -- measured reactions and overreactions alike. Some names pop up more than others, and I don't think anyone has popped up more often in a more positive way than Parker Washington. It seems like he's doing cool stuff all the time.
Every day is Parker day 😮💨@Dream_Finders | #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/GnCwKM30Yd
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) August 9, 2026
Notes and unofficial stats from the Jaguars' Teal & White mock game (Teal won 19-12): QB Trevor Lawrence was 15 of 29 passes for 212 yards and 3 TDs. Parker Washington, Brian Thomas Jr., and LeQuint Allen had TD catches. Washington had six catches for 118 yards and TD.
— Michael DiRocco (@ESPNdirocco) August 7, 2026
That's because Washington is a really cool player and, more importantly, a really good player. Last year, he led the NFL in contested catch rate, per Pro Football Focus, despite standing 5-10. Over his last four games (including postseason), he had 26 catches for 454 yards and three touchdowns.
For all the good news surrounding Brian Thomas Jr. and all the good things Jakobi Meyers did for the offense last year and all the talent Travis Hunter has, Washington is in line for a major breakout campaign. He quietly led Jacksonville in receiving yards last year and will loudly repeat that this year.
Browns, Cardinals finally, legitimately set up well for a future quarterback
Not an overreaction
The biggest headline the Browns and the Cardinals made this offseason was moving on from players who were thought to be franchise pillars. Cleveland sent Myles Garrett to the Rams, and Arizona split with Murray.
Neither team is expected to be very good this season, either. But that doesn't mean things are completely lost.
For Cleveland, wide receivers Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion have impressed big time. Boston has been busiest wide receiver by far, and his combination of huge size and smooth moving is impressive.
Denzel Boston Is Looking Like the NFL’s BEST Rookie WR in Training Camp So Far...😳 pic.twitter.com/s4qa5SwUlj
— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) August 1, 2026
But Concepcion has impressed, too. He's more of a jittery slot receiver -- Todd Monken had Zay Flowers in Baltimore, and that would be the high-end comparison here.
The Browns also have rookie left tackle Spencer Fano already inserted as a starter. Add in Quinshon Judkins and Harold Fannin Jr., both in their second year, and you see a solid young core forming. On defense, Jared Verse, acquired in the Garrett trade, and Defensive Rookie of the Year Carson Schwesinger are the bright young spots, and stud corner Denzel Ward just got an extension, too. Cleveland has a lot going right and a ton of trade capital in the future.
The Cardinals already had Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson at the pass-catching spots, but adding Jeremiyah Love third overall adds some score-from-anywhere juice, too.
#Cardinals Jeremiyah Love is going to be special. Seamlessly hits all the gaps, deep make a man miss bag, and isn’t afraid of contact. He may be Gibbs and Bijan combined pic.twitter.com/l93QSkzAS7
— Don Soprano (@DonOfDynasty) August 6, 2026
Left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. is excellent when healthy, and second-round pick Chase Bisontis should start right away at guard. Heck, even Carson Beck looked excellent in the Hall of Fame Game and has impressed overall. The Cardinals are a good bit farther away defensively -- though Walter Nolen and Will Johnson hold major promise -- but both of these teams have some nice young pieces.
Browns, Cardinals, Falcons will start multiple QBs this season
Not an overreaction
For all the good things I just said about the Browns and Cardinals, quarterback is a huge issue. As such, I expect to see several starts from Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson (and maybe even a start for Dillon Gabriel or Taylen Green) this season in Cleveland. Same for Jacoby Brissett and Beck in Arizona. Both teams need to do their due diligence on all options before moving into 2027.
The same goes for the Falcons starting both Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. Both are inconsistent on the field, and both are inconsistent even staying on the field. In fact, the Falcons opened training camp with one healthy quarterback: UDFA Jack Strand. Yikes!
Commanders doomed after Laremy Tunsil's injury
Minor overreaction
"Doomed" is too strong of a word, but Laremy Tunsil's torn triceps, which will cost him months, if not the whole season, put a huge damper on what's been a positive Washington training camp.
Offensive line was a strength before Tunsil's injury. Now, Brandon Coleman, who had been battling for the starting left guard job, is bumping out to tackle, and Chris Paul is starter at left guard. Center Nick Allegretti has missed time with a calf strain, and the Commanders have been bringing in several players throughout camp at all three offensive line positions. Josh Conerly Jr. has been up and down at right tackle. If anything, there might be more worries at several spots other than left tackle.
This isn't a season killer. The Commanders, on paper, have made real strides on defense in both scheme and personnel. Jayden Daniels has looked outstanding -- "as accurate as he's ever been," per new offensive coordinator David Blough -- and he starred during joint practice against the Dolphins. Stefon Diggs is a massive (and necessary) upgrade as a WR2 alongside Terry McLaurin. Daniels will still have to carry a very heavy load, but not all is lost yet.
Stefon Diggs already looks like missing piece for Jayden Daniels, Commanders offense Zachary Pereles
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