Most NFL teams will have completed their minicamps by the end of Thursday, which means it’s summer break for those squads until the start of training camp next month. With that in mind, here are five things we learned from the first wave of teams that wrapped up their offseason workouts.
1) Mahomes deal could have ripple effect. Wednesday’s news of a historic contract extension for Patrick Mahomes likely tethers the quarterback and the Chiefs together for many years to come and could keep him a Chief for life. Mahomes is now under contract for the next eight seasons, through his age-38 year in 2033.
It’s not shocking that we arrived here. This is the perfect marriage of city and athlete. But it’s also a strong indicator that the Chiefs have no fears about Mahomes’ health coming off a torn ACL. Tom Brady suffered a similar injury at roughly the same stage of his career, and he went on to play 14 more years after that.
Major contracts such as Mahomes’ don’t just affect the athlete, his agent and team. It also has a league-wide effect, especially at such a premium position as quarterback.
I can imagine Lamar Jackson and other elite quarterbacks who are extension-eligible perked up a bit when the Mahomes news rolled in. It has a direct effect on Jackson and others, even if each of their individual situations may differ somewhat.
Even though Jackson has two years left on his deal, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said in January that he wanted to get an extension done with Jackson prior to the new league year, which started in March. We’ve missed that first marker and are about six weeks from the start of training camps.
While there’s still time to get a deal done before games begin, Jackson could play this coming season and try to cash in — for more money — next offseason. He’s coming off a tough year, plagued by injuries and a weaker Ravens team in general than we’re used to seeing.
If Jackson can have one of his better seasons under new head coach Jesse Minter, there should be nothing stopping the Ravens from opening the vault again for him. Jackson said the new offensive system was different from what he was used to but called it “mind-blowing” recently, so he appears to be happy.
2) Filling the WR void in Philly. The Eagles closed the book on A.J. Brown with the long-anticipated trade that sent him to New England nearly two weeks ago. The Eagles had ample time to make contingency plans and reshape the receiver room in his eventual absence.
The most ballyhooed WR addition is probably rookie Makai Lemon, the first-round pick the Eagles leapfrogged the Steelers to draft in April. Some have likened Lemon to an Amon-Ra St. Brown clone, giving the Eagles a different style of receiver to help replace the bigger, thicker Brown.
Lemon could end up the primary slot receiver in the Eagles’ three-WR sets and figures to have a big role as a rookie. Rookie receivers are on accelerated paths these days, with seven first-round wideouts turning in 1,000-yard seasons the past five years and another half dozen reaching the 850-yard mark. But with Lemon missing minicamp practice with a right leg injury, he’s likely going to enter training camp with some catching up to do.
Don’t forget about the Dontayvion Wicks addition this offseason. Wicks was never close to the lead guy in Green Bay his first three seasons and missed the final regular-season game and the playoff game to end his time there. But he arrived in Philadelphia in the perfect time and might be poised for his best season to date.
Wicks turns 25 years old next week and is just scratching the surface of his potential. He’s one of the few receivers on the roster capable of filling the big-bodied WR role that Brown manned and possesses the vertical speed and leaping ability to be a 50-50 threat for Jalen Hurts.
Hollywood Brown also has reportedly looked good early this offseason, but I am really focused on Wicks. He never really had a shot to fully develop with the Packers but might be exactly what the Eagles need – all on a very affordable deal for such a young, ascending receiver.
If Jackson can have one of his better seasons under new head coach Jesse Minter, there should be nothing stopping the Ravens from opening the vault again for him. Jackson said the new offensive system was different from what he was used to but called it “mind-blowing” recently, so he appears to be happy.
2) Filling the WR void in Philly. The Eagles closed the book on A.J. Brown with the long-anticipated trade that sent him to New England nearly two weeks ago. The Eagles had ample time to make contingency plans and reshape the receiver room in his eventual absence.
The most ballyhooed WR addition is probably rookie Makai Lemon, the first-round pick the Eagles leapfrogged the Steelers to draft in April. Some have likened Lemon to an Amon-Ra St. Brown clone, giving the Eagles a different style of receiver to help replace the bigger, thicker Brown.
Lemon could end up the primary slot receiver in the Eagles’ three-WR sets and figures to have a big role as a rookie. Rookie receivers are on accelerated paths these days, with seven first-round wideouts turning in 1,000-yard seasons the past five years and another half dozen reaching the 850-yard mark. But with Lemon missing minicamp practice with a right leg injury, he’s likely going to enter training camp with some catching up to do.
Don’t forget about the Dontayvion Wicks addition this offseason. Wicks was never close to the lead guy in Green Bay his first three seasons and missed the final regular-season game and the playoff game to end his time there. But he arrived in Philadelphia in the perfect time and might be poised for his best season to date.
Wicks turns 25 years old next week and is just scratching the surface of his potential. He’s one of the few receivers on the roster capable of filling the big-bodied WR role that Brown manned and possesses the vertical speed and leaping ability to be a 50-50 threat for Jalen Hurts.
Hollywood Brown also has reportedly looked good early this offseason, but I am really focused on Wicks. He never really had a shot to fully develop with the Packers but might be exactly what the Eagles need – all on a very affordable deal for such a young, ascending receiver.
Unless Charbonnet makes a remarkably quick recovery — something head coach Mike Macdonald isn’t ruling out — this feels like Price’s starting job to lose from the outset. There’s a certain irony in projecting to start Price in Week 1, considering he never started a game at Notre Dame – stuck behind Jeremiyah Love and Audric Estimé – in three seasons in South Bend.
There was some speculation that Emanuel Wilson, a quiet free-agent signing from Green Bay, could steal some carries in the early backfield mix as a bigger back than either Holani or Price, but Wilson has been running third in the pecking order so far.
Eventually Charbonnet will return, but he’s entering the final year of his rookie contract and has been a part-time back since entering the NFL, playing second chair behind Walker. If Price can show he’s capable of handling the bulk of the load before Charbonnet returns to the field, I think he’ll stay in the starter’s role for most of his rookie season – and likely beyond.
5) Bears cornerback makes practice statement. Bears CB Jaylon Johnson was not the same player in 2025 that he’d previously been, hampered by a groin injury that limited him to nine games (including playoffs). He had one interception and wasn’t nearly as effective as he’d been before, either in coverage or as a tackler.
So when Johnson picked off Caleb Williams twice on Tuesday, it wasn’t just your typical minicamp fodder. This was an indication that Johnson was back physically to a place where he can uplift this Bears defense.
Head coach Ben Johnson said he never really saw his best cornerback in top form last season and noted that “this time of year” isn’t always the best to judge where a player is, considering the lack of full contact in practice.
Even so, Ben Johnson believes Jaylon Johnson is trending in the right direction.
“He’s been able to stack a few (good practices) throughout OTAs,” the coach told reporters on Wednesday. “I think his mind is probably getting more confident in terms of the movements he’s making. So yeah, he’s a vital part of what we want to do. You know he’s been a Pro Bowl-caliber player in the past, and hopefully we can get that out of him again this year.”
The Bears certainly are hoping for that based on what they’re paying him. Jaylon Johnson is set to hit Chicago’s salary cap at $24.5 million and $25 million the next two seasons. At 27, he remains in his peak years, and the Bears are expected to break in two new starters in the secondary (safeties Coby Bryant and Dillon Thieneman) after leading the NFL with 23 interceptions last season.
The Bears will face some elite receivers this season, starting with Tetairoa McMillan and Justin Jefferson in Weeks 1 and 2. Johnson back at or near peak form would be a huge development.
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