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OMG... There's, like, a training camp practice that happens today! #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/8uV0k8O34o
— Maureen Murray (@sweethazelmm) July 23, 2025
Articles
Athlon Sports
Washington Commanders’ One Big Question: Can the Defense Match Jayden Daniels’ Brilliance?
The Washington Commanders were the NFL’s breakout team in 2024. For a Super Bowl run in 2025, it’ll be on the defense to match Jayden Daniels, writes Doug Farrar.
Especially on offense, this team has arrived, and they didn’t take that for granted in the offseason. In the draft, Washington added Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr., Virginia Tech receiver Jaylin Lane, and Arizona running back
Jacory Croskey-Merritt, and all three have the potential to add a lot on that side of the ball. Factor in the addition of receiver Deebo Samuel in an offseason trade, and this offense looks to have just about everything you want.
The defense last season was a different story. Quinn and Whitt had an uphill battle when trying to get past what ex-defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio did from a schematic perspective (spoiler alert: it was REALLY bad), so they did the best they could with what they had. While Washington’s offense ranked sixth in DVOA last season, Washington’s defense ranked 23rd.
Washington tied for third among the league’s worst yards per carry allowed at 4.8, and what the Eagles’ run game did to that defense in the NFC title game (36 carries for 229 yards and seven touchdowns) was the equivalent of an All-22 snuff film.
So, everybody knows where the focus needs to be now. There are still some heavy questions about the edge-rushing group. The bad news is that Dante Fowler Jr., who led the team last season with 11 sacks and finished second with 50 total pressures, took his talents back to Dallas in the offseason. The good news is that the criminally underrated Dorance Armstrong, who came over to the nation’s capital with Quinn (who had been the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator from 2021-2023), is still around on the three-year, $33 million contract he signed in 2024. The 6-foot-4, 255-pound Armstrong may never be an NFL sack leader, but he’s one of those “glue guys” who can tie a defensive line together.
Heavy.com
Can Commanders Conquer the Eagles?
[T]he Commanders addressed key weaknesses. They added former All-Pro wideout Deebo Samuel, bolstering a receiver corps already featuring Terry McLaurin. This gives Daniels multiple YAC-heavy options to target, and his dual-threat ability puts opposing defenses in conflict.
Second, Quinn’s defensive mindset in year two is starting to take root. Washington’s defense enters 2025 as one of the most versatile in the NFC. The front seven features veterans like Bobby Wagner, Frankie Luvu, Dorance Armstrong, and Daron Payne, while young stars such as Mikey Sainristil and Jer’Zhan Newton look ready to take Pro Bowl-level next steps in their development. The unit thrives on disguises, zone blitzes, and ball-hawking schemes that should challenge even elite offenses like Philly’s.
The Commanders also have offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury to continue to maximize Daniels’ unique skill set. Kingsbury’s system is tailor-made for tempo, motion, and space creation: all things that could stress the Eagles’ secondary.
Washington isn’t just focused on the division. The team believes it has the pieces to compete deep into January and perhaps February. Veteran leadership is a major reason why. Players like Wagner, Zach Ertz, and newly signed edge rush specialist Von Miller have been to the big stage and know what it takes to win late in the year. The younger players on the roster know only a magical 2024 campaign and look to build off of that success.
Another major strength? Depth.
Commanders.com
5 takeaways from Washington’s pre-training camp press conference
5. Peters believes he has a better roster.
Peters faced a difficult task in 2024. He inherited a roster that went 4-13 in 2023 and needed a quarterback as well as more talent at multiple positions. It took several savvy moves and a strong draft class to do so, but the Commanders fielded one of the biggest surprises last season and were one win away from a Super Bowl.
His next challenge was to improve upon that foundation, and he believes the team achieved that ahead of the 2025 campaign.
“I’d like to think we’re better,” Peters said. “But really, it was cool to see the players that we hadn’t been with last year get so much better and get so much closer...and work together.”
Although the Commanders still have questions to be answered on their roster, there is a strong case that they improved their personnel. They wanted to be better at stopping the run, so they signed several players with more size, physicality and experience in that area. They wanted to provide more protection and weapons for Daniels, so they traded for Tunsil and Deebo Samuel in addition to drafting Conerly. They also signed and drafted defensive backs with more coverage experience, which should allow them to hold their own against some of the league’s better receiving corps.
All that leads Peters to believe the Commanders are in a better spot than they were in 2024. That doesn’t mean they are guaranteed to win more games, but he’s confident in what they can do in the upcoming season.
NFL.com
Commanders’ Terry McLaurin absent from training camp as WR seeks new contract
The receiver did not report for the Commanders’ conditioning test on Tuesday as he seeks a new contract, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
McLaurin’s absence from the start of camp is not surprising. He told reporters on July 15 that he’s “been pretty frustrated” with the state of his contract talks with Washington, adding “everything that has transpired up to this point has been disappointing and frustrating. I want to continue my career here.”
So far, the two sides evidently have not made enough progress to convince McLaurin to show up.
McLaurin’s place in Washington’s offense is essential. He built quite a rapport with quarterback Jayden Daniels in 2024, finishing with the second-highest passer rating among quarterback-receiver duos (130.4) in the NFL.
McLaurin also has zero financial security beyond 2025, and with just $2.8 million guaranteed, playing under the existing deal is a risk in itself.
As McLaurin said a week ago, “it’s becoming a little bit of crunch time.”
The Athletic (paywall)
Terry McLaurin’s contract situation with Commanders won’t have an easy resolution
Sorry. There was no word of a miracle, 11th-hour compromise between the Commanders and wide receiver Terry McLaurin Tuesday morning, at least by the time general manager Adam Peters and coach Dan Quinn held their pre-training camp news conference.
There was just the cold chill of a gulf that apparently remains between the star receiver and the only team he’s known since entering the league in 2019. And no sign, other than the cordial words Peters spoke of the soon-to-be 30-year-old, that this will be resolved soon, and certainly not when camp begins Wednesday.
This is where some would say managing partner Josh Harris needs to swoop in and be the hero of the news conference, pay McLaurin what he wants and talk boldly afterward about “how we take care of our own,” or some such plaudits. But that would be the exact wrong thing to do. That’s what Dan Snyder would do. And nothing would fracture a locker room quicker than players knowing, as they knew under Snyder, that there were players whom the owner favored, and players he did not. That dynamic makes it very difficult for any player, no matter their talents or resume, to garner respect from their peers, with whom they sacrifice so much.
This will have to play out slowly, maybe angrily, for the next few days and weeks to get each side to agree. It’s still the prohibitive likelihood that McLaurin will be extended — if not to his ideal, to a place he can accept — at some point before the regular season.
It’s hard to imagine a 2025 Commanders roster without McLaurin on it. But the percentage of that happening is not zero.
Heavy.com
Edge Locked: Tunsil and Conerly Take Over
Tunsil’s presence also allows Washington to open up more of Kliff Kingsbury’s playbook. Longer-developing routes, deeper play-action shots, and quarterback-designed runs become more viable when the left edge is locked down. He offers the kind of consistency that young quarterbacks lean on when learning how to navigate blitzes and disguises.
On the opposite side, Conerly Jr. is the odds-on favorite to step in as the Commanders’ first-round draft pick to become the opening day starter and right tackle of the future. Known for his athleticism and upside, Conerly impressed scouts with his movement skills, football IQ, and ability to mirror defenders. Though he’s a rookie, he comes from a polished system at Oregon and showed well in both zone and power run concepts.
Conerly is more than just a long-term investment. His agility on the right side opens the door for designed quarterback rollouts, misdirection plays, and pulling blocks. These concepts are key staples in Kingsbury’s evolving offensive scheme. With mentorship from Tunsil and veteran interior linemen, Conerly is in a perfect position to develop while making an immediate impact.
The real winner in all of this? [QB Jayden] Daniels.
Podcasts & videos
2025 Rookies Share Their Most Defining Moment From College Career | Washington Commanders
Terry McLaurin HOLDOUT Sparks First Major Crisis for Washington Commanders’ New Regime
On video talking 5 thoughts: Terry McLaurin; more Terry; why players want to be here; 1-1s I’m looking forward to in Commanders camp and more. And Terry. @ESPNRichmond https://t.co/APJHfGI0mJ
— John Keim (@john_keim) July 23, 2025
Bram Weinstein: Bowser keeps eye on the prize / AP-DQ open training camp
New @TraporDive! @LetMualTellit @SaintWah talk Terry’s holdout, AP/Quinn Presser, Joe Whitt year 2 - whats at stake, & camp battles. #RaiseHail
— COMMANDERS FOOTBALL (@HogsHaven) July 23, 2025
Watch/Listen/Subscribe
- https://t.co/qCXzcrIPmn
- https://t.co/x8OVJNU0u8https://t.co/HN96Ue5hJv
NFC East links
Bleeding Green Nation
Report: Eagles sign veteran edge rusher ahead of training camp
The Philadelphia Eagles are signing free agent veteran edge rusher Ogbonnia “Ogbo” Okoronkwo (o-BO-ny-uh o-kor-RON-kwo), according to a report from NFL insider Tom Pelissero.
Okoronkwo played college football at Oklahoma before being selected by the Los Angeles Rams with a fifth-round pick (No. 160 overall) in the 2018 NFL Draft. After missing his rookie season due to a foot injury, Okoronkwo logged 4.5 sacks, five TFLs, and 16 quarterback hits in 39 games played over the next three years.
Okoronkwo left LA after their Super Bowl LVI win to join the Houston Texans, where he produced five sacks, nine TFLs, and 11 QB hits in eight starts over 17 games. That performance earned him a three-year, $19 million contract with the Cleveland Browns.
In 30 games played over two seasons with the Browns, Okoronkwo posted 7.5 sacks, 17 TFLs, and 14 QB hits. Cleveland decided to cut him in late June, which our friends over at Dawgs By Nature described as a “surprising move.” More insight from them:
Although it may be seen as a shocking move to some, there was always a possibility that the team could part ways with Ogbo this offseason due to his contract structure. The Browns freed up an extra $3.4 million in cap space by doing so and were able to add multiple other versatile pass rushers this offseason.
Okoronkwo and his attitude will be missed in Northeast Ohio, but it’s safe to say that guys like Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Mason Graham, and Maliek Collins should help soften the blow from an on-field standpoint, both inside and out.
Okoronkwo now has a new home in Philly. But will the 30-year-old actually make the Eagles’ regular season roster? It’s possible. The Birds aren’t exactly loaded with proven edge rusher talent.
The Landry Hat
Micah Parsons sends loud and clear message to Matt Eberflus right before camp
“That Dan Quinn system, I miss them days being off the ball and you get them one-on-ones on the back ...,” Parsons said.
Luvu is a traditional off-ball linebacker who excels at rushing the passer. He might be the best pass-rushing linebacker in football. Because of that, Quinn can get more creative with Luvu relative to Parsons, who has transitioned to a full-time EDGE the last three seasons.
Luvu reaped the benefits of Quinn’s system en route to being named a second-team All-Pro in his first year with the Commanders.
It is clear that Parsons wants to be move around more than he was under Mike Zimmer. Parsons played just 38 snaps in the box last season compared to 588 outside the opposing offensive tackle, per Pro Football Focus. He played 108 snaps in the box under Quinn in 2023. While Parsons missed four games with a high-ankle sprain last year, his role under Zimmer was crystal clear.
Cowboys place CB Trevon Diggs, LB DeMarvion Overshown on PUP list as camp gets underwayhttps://t.co/6ou2Ws9wwI pic.twitter.com/GDlbVkyecp
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) July 22, 2025
Blogging the Boys
Micah Parsons at first Cowboys practice, but appears to be ‘hold in’ situation
Brian Schottenheimer said on Tuesday that Micah would be present during practice as the day went on and was proven to be correct.
While Micah was present and accounted for during Tuesday’s practice there was some chatter about him not participating in certain things or only participating to a certain level.
After going through warmups and individual drills Micah Parsons is not taking part in team drills, as indicated earlier by HC Brian Schottenheimer.
— Joe Trahan (@JoeTrahan) July 22, 2025
As expected, it’s a “hold in.” pic.twitter.com/NcE82OFFCX
Big Blue View
Andrew Thomas placed on PUP list by New York Giants
Star left tackle Andrew Thomas, recovering from Lisfranc surgery that limited his 2024 season to six games, has been placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list by the New York Giants on the eve of 2025 training camp.
Running back Eric Gray, competing for a spot as a backup, will also begin training camp on PUP. He has a knee injury.
Players on PUP to begin training camp count against the 90-man roster, but cannot practice until they are removed from the list.
The health of Thomas, who has missed 18 games with injuries the past two seasons, is critical for the Giants. Over the past two years, the Giants are 6-10 with Thomas in the lineup, 3-15 without him.
NFL league links
Articles
Front Office Sports
NFL, NBA Media Deals Mirror Soaring Franchise Valuations: JPMorgan
The role of streamers in the landscape is expected to grow significantly, according to a new report.
The biggest takeaway is how completely the NFL dominates U.S. sports: The report notes that Super Bowl LIX drew 127.7 million viewers—the most-watched program in U.S. TV history—and 72 of last year’s 100 most-watched telecasts were NFL games.
That popularity underpins the league’s massive 11-year, $111 billion media-rights deal, which helps it command higher ad dollars than any other sport, according to the report.
The result is that franchise valuations keep soaring. The 49ers recently sold a total 6% stake in the team at a reported $8.5 billion valuation. Former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning recently said he has been priced out of a potential minority stake in the team for which he won two Super Bowls. Last year, Forbes had the Cowboys as the first team to have an estimated value of more than $10 billion.
Rumor has it the NFL intends to exercise an opt-out clause that allows it to exit most of the current agreements it has with partners Amazon Prime Video, CBS, ESPN, Fox, and NBC after the 2029 season (the deals are supposed to run through the 2033 season).
[T]here’s an interesting rationale behind the NFL’s potential desire to opt out. Although the league commands the biggest rights check in sports, its cost-per-viewer-hour—just $1.37—is actually a good value for networks, the report says. That number means every hour one person watches costs the network $1.37, a figure the report says “sits in the middle of the curve” compared to other pro sports leagues and is largely offset by advertisers eager to reach that massive audience.
Karnovsky says among the biggest surprise trends from this year’s report was “the consistency of NFL viewership through so much change in media.”
JPMorgan’s report says, “Third-party data indicate 90% of viewers are now consuming sports on streaming, and we believe fans are gradually becoming inured to a digital experience, which in several cases we think can be superior.”
Discussion topics
ESPN
Anatomy of an NFL holdout: What it’s like for players, agents, teams
It is a harsh reality of holding out — a process in which a player does not report to training camp, despite being under contract, and becomes subject to mandatory fines. The emotional twists and turns for all involved in a holdout — or hold-in (when a player attends team activities to avoid being fined but doesn’t participate ) — are many. Players must deal with uncertainty over their future and missing time with teammates. General managers know they must get an important player signed while facing pressure from fans, owners and coaches. Agents not only negotiate deals but also handle the players’ emotions. And through it all, coaches are left to twist in the wind, wondering when one of their best players will be available to the team on the field, if at all.
“Holdouts are brutal, man,” said longtime agent Vince Taylor, who has had two clients hold out on three occasions, including twice with San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams. “I’ll say this for an agent or a player who has never experienced it, I don’t think you can tell them enough how brutal it is.
“Don’t push that button unless you really [plan to] go all the way.”
Holdouts come at a hefty cost. Players are fined $50,000 for each day they hold out. Previously, teams could waive those fines. But that loophole was closed under the current collective bargaining agreement ratified in March 2020. Now, only players on rookie contracts can get that relief.
“It’s a toothache,” former NFL general manager Bill Polian said. “It’s there all the time.”
Here are stories of notable NFL holdouts from the perspectives of a coach, agent, general manager and player.
The player
In 2014, tight end Vernon Davis skipped San Francisco’s mandatory minicamp while seeking an extension with two years left on his deal. That experience taught him a lesson: Missing time stinks. He received daily updates from his agent Todd France but didn’t want to hold out.
“It was frustrating. I was antsy,” Davis said. “I felt like I needed to smoke a cigarette sometimes. I didn’t do that, but I felt like I wanted to. ... And it was just one of those things that just because you feel like you’re missing something, you feel like you’re behind.”
All aTwitter
We have made the following roster moves:
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) July 23, 2025
- Placed G Sam Cosmi on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform List
- Placed WR Terry McLaurin on the Reserve/Did Not Report List
We have released RB Michael Wiley pic.twitter.com/obVJmcYCTo
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) July 22, 2025
Tyler Owens posted a photo on his IG page (@TKO214) of the locker room. Big change (and yes this should be basic but it wasn’t in the past): pic.twitter.com/m5MbQq3haZ
— John Keim (@john_keim) July 22, 2025
#Commanders DT Carl Davis showing off some new additions at camp!
— Los Doos__ @redzoneinthelab podcast (@redzoneinthelab) July 22, 2025
“He could provide good depth” #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/uhK0VFASLM
s̶u̶m̶m̶e̶r̶ training camp pic.twitter.com/STv09jbXYn
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) July 22, 2025
Washington WR Terry McLaurin, who is seeking a new contract, did not report to training camp today, per source. McLaurin was not present for the Commanders’ conditioning test today that marked an unofficial start of training camp. All other players are present and accounted for,… pic.twitter.com/6ACuheTm1W
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 22, 2025
Here are all of Adam Peters's comments about Terry McLaurin's contract situation today: pic.twitter.com/3pn6HDB0Gx
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) July 22, 2025
Where are the Commanders and Terry McLaurin in their standoff over a new contract?#NFL #HTTC pic.twitter.com/IK30pbG9zg
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) July 22, 2025
@TheTerry_25 #RaiseHail @Commanders pic.twitter.com/dbt71miXJt
— (@ionwannatlkRell) July 23, 2025
Year 14 Loading ⏳ pic.twitter.com/Mru1TT0xHJ
— Bobby Wagner (@Bwagz) July 23, 2025
#Commanders top ten C Tyler Biadasz putting down reps while, coincidentally LG Brandon Coleman is on his left!
— Los Doos__ @redzoneinthelab podcast (@redzoneinthelab) July 23, 2025
“Brandon is always on Tyler’s left” #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/3a0ifan22v
One month after being released, Ogbo Okoronkwo has landed a deal with the #Eagles:https://t.co/d2LN8TLFC3
— Pro Football Rumors (@pfrumors) July 22, 2025
"The priorities for Cincinnati were Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) July 22, 2025
The Bengals aren't going to do what Trey Hendrickson wants on his timetable..
He has gone out of his way to be very transparent"@PSchrags #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/u4EFKugG0V
The 49ers signed WR Equanimeous St. Brown to their 90-man roster at the opening of training camp. He is a six-year NFL veteran who appeared in two games with no catches for the Saints last year.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) July 22, 2025
Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs held court with the media to give his side of things.
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) July 22, 2025
He said he was surprised by his $500k dock in pay: “That hurt my feelings.”
Said he leads in his own way and won’t change his leadership style for anybody. He believes in his own rehab away from team. pic.twitter.com/o8kkiq3LRR
Black Sabbath legend Ozzy Osbourne, the Prince of Darkness, dead at 76 https://t.co/UKjFinQjwJ pic.twitter.com/SaRxh0gouG
— New York Post (@nypost) July 22, 2025
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