The start of preseason football is always a great sign because it tells us we’re getting closer to the real thing. The teams have moved deeper into training camps. The conversations about which players are going to survive cutdowns become more intense. We’re also gaining a clearer sense of what kinds of problems could be on the horizon for some squads in the near future. And in this version of The First Read, we're exploring those potential issues.
There already are a handful of ominous situations percolating in different corners of the NFL -- such as the contract squabbles involving Micah Parsons in Dallas, Trey Hendrickson in Cincinnati and Terry McLaurin in Washington -- and it’s hard to ignore them today. If you watch enough football, then you know when to worry about something and when to dismiss it. With that in mind, here are some early warning signs that have popped up since the start of training camp and throughout the first full week of preseason games.
1) Matthew Stafford’s ability to stay healthy is in question. The good news in Los Angeles is that the Rams quarterback is apparently nearing a return to practice after missing all of training camp thus far with an aggravated disc in his back. The bad news is that Stafford did not practice on Monday -- contrary to what head coach Sean McVay anticipated over the weekend -- because he didn't feel good enough entering the day. All of this underscores the larger point that back injuries can be tricky, especially for a player entering his 17th NFL campaign at age 37. The Rams are coming into this season with legitimate Super Bowl hopes that ride on this team limiting injuries. Health woes played a major role in Los Angeles starting 1-4 last season, and Stafford wasn’t one of the players dealing with significant issues (star wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua were the most notable guys in that group).
The Rams obviously can ill-afford to have Stafford go down for prolonged stretches. They can’t even have him compromised or playing through something as painful as a back problem can be, not after the offseason addition of wide receiver Davante Adams made this offense as dangerous as it’s been since Los Angeles won the Super Bowl in the 2021 season. McVay was encouraged by the way Stafford performed in a throwing session on Saturday, which opened the door for him to return to the field. What we don’t know is whether one awkward twist or a vicious tackle might undo all that progress once the games turn real.
2) Some Chiefs already are dealing with injuries. Nobody should be surprised that Kansas City cornerback Kristian Fulton and wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown have missed time during training camp this summer. Fulton has never played an entire season in his five-year career, while Brown hasn't logged a full slate in the last three seasons (he missed 14 games in 2024 with a collarbone injury). Now they’re both recovering from health problems that could impact the Chiefs this season. Fulton just returned to practice after recovering from knee surgery to clean up an unspecified ailment. Brown has been dealing with an ankle/foot problem that has kept him out of practice since July 29.
Look, we know Kansas City has much bigger names on the roster than these two veterans. It’s also important to note that both players are tasked with critical roles for this team this season. The Chiefs signed Fulton to a two-year, $20 million deal in the offseason with the idea that he would man an outside cornerback position and allow star cover man Trent McDuffie to spend more time in the slot. That plan could help Kansas City improve a secondary that quietly ranked among the worst in the league in explosive plays allowed last season. Brown was supposed to help the Chiefs re-energize their deep passing attack last year before he went down. He’s not as critical to those hopes this year -- second-year pro Xavier Worthy is looking to take a big leap in his development -- but K.C. is preparing for star receiver Rashee Rice to face a league suspension for his role in a street-racing collision in Dallas. If the Chiefs start the season without two of their top three receivers, that will make life much harder on quarterback Patrick Mahomes. We know everyone is talking about the offensive line and the progress of rookie left tackle Josh Simmons. These two issues should receive comparable attention.
3) The Chargers must adjust to life without Rashawn Slater. There hasn’t been a more devastating injury since the start of training camp than the patellar tendon tear that ended Slater’s season before it started. The Pro Bowl left tackle had received a four-year, $114 million extension just 11 days before his left leg collapsed in practice. The Chargers were preparing to field one of the best offensive lines in football with Slater operating as a bookend to right tackle Joe Alt. Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh now has moved Alt, the fifth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and a former left tackle at Notre Dame, into Slater’s spot. Trey Pipkins slides into the right tackle position as part of that same reshuffling of the line. Harbaugh’s hope here is that Los Angeles doesn’t lose too much with these changes, but let’s face it: It’s not going to be the same without Slater.
Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman want to rely on a dominant run game, which is why they signed free-agent running back Najee Harris, who is recovering from an eye injury sustained this offseason, and used their first-round selection in April on running back Omarion Hampton. Harbaugh even has responded to critics who claim the Bolts need more weapons at the skill positions -- and the team did just reunite with veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen recently -- by saying the offensive line should be viewed as a weapon. Harbaugh sees that unit as the tip of the spear he wants to use on the rest of the league. He’s going to find out how resilient that bunch is real soon.
4) The Browns' QB situation will generate a LOT more chatter in the coming weeks. Cleveland already had the league’s most fascinating quarterback competition going on with veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett operating alongside rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. That battle became even more interesting after Sanders, the fifth-round pick whom many expected to go much higher in the draft, completed 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns in his preseason debut at Carolina. It’s important to apply some perspective to this performance -- after all, Sanders was playing largely because Pickett and Gabriel, the two players listed ahead of him on the unofficial depth chart, were nursing injuries -- but we know that’s not going to happen in today’s hot-take landscape. There’s a reason Sanders has been the fourth quarterback in the Browns’ rotation throughout the spring and summer. There’s also a reason why he attracts more attention than any other quarterback on the Browns roster. There’s a large contingent of people who believe Sanders is talented enough to earn the starting job at some point, even though the Browns haven’t shown any interest in pushing that narrative. His play in a nationally televised game is only going to inspire more of that talk, even though it already feels like the 40-year-old Flacco is the team’s most likely starter at this stage. He is the most accomplished signal-caller on the roster -- one who came off the couch to lead this same team to the playoffs in emergency duty two seasons ago -- and that means plenty for a team that wants to start winning more games.
The injuries to Pickett and Gabriel also forced the Browns to sign Tyler Huntley, who played against the Panthers, as well. But Sanders has been the player who generates the most conversation, and that will continue as long as he keeps playing at a high level. So, buckle up for plenty of talking heads dissecting what Sanders did this past weekend and what it will mean going forward. It will make for fun debates. It just won’t make life easier for the Browns as they try to clarify the most important position in sports.
5) Philadelphia has more questions up front with the Landon Dickerson injury. The Eagles now have some sense of what they’re dealing with after Dickerson collapsed during practice on Sunday night and needed to be carted back to the locker room. Reports say he injured his right knee during the session, but the initial diagnosis is the best possible news for Philadelphia. There’s now a possibility Dickerson could return before the start of the regular season, as surgeons apparently only need to trim a portion of the meniscus to resolve the issue. If Dickerson had been looking at a complete tear, it would’ve involved a season-ending operation.
The Eagles are facing a major challenge for an offensive line that has been arguably the best in football over the last few years. Philadelphia lost right guard Mekhi Becton in free agency, but the team has been encouraged by the play of Tyler Steen at that spot throughout training camp. Losing Dickerson would be an entirely different story. He’s been one of the best guards in football -- as he was named to each of the last three Pro Bowls -- and the options to replace him aren’t great. One that might make the most sense is moving Steen to left guard and finding an answer on the right side in the interim. However this all plays out, it looms large for the reigning Super Bowl champions. The 2024 Eagles boasted one of the league’s top offenses, with a line that blew open enough holes for running back Saquon Barkley to join the 2,000-yard club and earn Offensive Player of the Year honors. We’ll see how Philly fares if Dickerson misses time.