The NFL’s 2025 mandatory minicamps have kicked into full gear this week. ESPN’s NFL reporters are on the ground to provide information on position battles, notable appearances from new faces, compelling quotes from coaches and players and give updates on injuries and holdout situations.
We will have updates every day of camp to keep you informed on all the latest Here’s what you need to know from Tuesday camps across the league:
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Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow spent some extra time on the practice field getting some throws in after Day 1 of the team’s mandatory minicamp. When he spoke to reporters afterwards, he said the bonus throws were to help him get into a rhythm ahead of the upcoming season. And he also referenced the surgery on the scapholunate ligament in his right wrist in 2023 and how he is still working on his throwing motion.
“I talked about last year still wasn’t quite back to throwing it the way that I expect,” Burrow said. “That’s improved this year.” Burrow believes things such as his throwing motion and the efficiency in his release will get better with more reps. For Burrow, seeing that improvement is “addicting.”
“That’s exciting for me to feel that improvement. That’s what keeps you coming back,” he said. All of those things could play a key role in the Bengals playing well at the start of the season.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen returned to practice after missing voluntary organized team activities (OTAs) last week. The reason? The new jewelry on his left ring finger.
Allen married his fiancée, Hailee Steinfeld, on May 31, but said he’s used to wearing the band. “We’re back to football, got some hardware now,” Allen said smiling. If there’s an offseason competition, Allen is doing pretty well — also winning MVP and receiving a record-setting extension.
Coach Sean McDermott noted how it was impressive that Allen was the first one at meetings they had with players on Monday.
“It’s been fun to watch him grow, but really appreciate him being here, because this is his team,” McDermott said. “He is our unquestioned leader … and what he does is, first and foremost, lead by example.” — Alaina Getzenberg
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley set a career high with 345 carries during the regular season and added 91 more during their Super Bowl run, but said his body isn’t dealing the effects.
“I feel really good,” Barkley said as Philadelphia wrapped its one-day minicamp. “I feel like I’m entering my prime.”
Barkley said he took some time off and made sure not to overdo it in his training post-Super Bowl to recover from the long season. He set the all-time single-season rushing record, including playoffs, last season and capped the campaign by securing his first Lombardi Trophy, but remains hungry for more.
“The thing that drives me is the same thing that’s driven me since I was a little kid. I’ve said this since I’ve gotten into the league and I don’t mean it in an arrogant way: I want to be the best running back to ever play, or at least one of the best running backs to ever play. The love of the game, wanting to win and wanting to compete and wanting to be great is always going to push me no matter if we win four Super Bowls.” — Tim McManus
Broncos coach Sean Payton has consistently said how much he favors big-framed wide receivers in his offense and the benefits for quarterback Bo Nix were on display Tuesday. Courtland Sutton and rookie Pat Bryant — two of the six wide receivers on the current roster who are at least 6-foot-2 — made two of the most notable catches in drills in the first mandatory minicamp practice. The Broncos know opposing defensive coordinators will try to force Nix to work areas of the field he may not want to, so having physical receivers — plus new tight end Evan Engram — who can routinely win contested catches along the sidelines and in the red zone will help Nix navigate his second second year.
“Very long, great hands, it makes it tough … and they can line up anywhere,” Broncos safety Brandon Jones said. — Jeff Legwold
The arrival of defensive end Bryce Huff in last week’s trade with the Eagles has the 49ers dreaming of reclaiming the dominant pass rush they had in their 2019 run to the Super Bowl. The early returns indicate that Huff could bring a speed element off the edge the Niners have been lacking. In fact, both left tackle Trent Williams and coach Kyle Shanahan invoked the name of the last speedy edge rusher to truly complement Nick Bosa as a means of comparison for Huff. “When you talk about just getting off the ball and how fast he does it, he will be our best get off the ball guy we’ve had since Dee Ford,” Shanahan said. “It’s good to beat tackles that way, but also widens tackles to help with the inside pass rush and things like that and he affects the quarterback.” — Nick Wagoner
During team and seven-on-seven drills, the connection between quarterback Dak Prescott and newly-acquired receiver George Pickens was spot-on. They hooked up for five completions, including a deep out and a yards-after-catch on a drag that had Prescott and receiver CeeDee Lamb meeting Pickens well down the field. It was also a good day for receiver Jonathan Mingo, acquired midseason last year, who got a go ball from Prescott. — Todd Archer
Las Vegas Raiders starting left tackle Kolton Miller, who briefly held out of the voluntary offseason workout program due to a contract dispute, made a clear message after the first day of mandatory minicamp: He wants to be a Raider for life.
“I don’t want to go anywhere else,” he said Tuesday.
Miller is entering the final year of a three-year, $54 million contract extension that he signed in 2021. He has a cap hit of $15.68 million in 2025 but doesn’t have any guaranteed money left on his current deal.
Miller elected not to skip the team’s organized team activity practices and minicamp because he’s excited about the culture coach Pete Carroll is trying to establish and wants to continue his role as a leader on the offensive line.
Miller has been a solid presence on the Raiders’ offensive line since they took him in the first round of the 2018 draft. The former UCLA lineman has started in 107 of 109 career games in the Silver and Black.
“I’ve been here a long time. And Pete is preaching competition,” Miller said. “We got to make everyone better, including the young guys. So I’m going to continue doing what I’m doing and lead the guys.”
The Raiders have demonstrated a willingness to secure key players on long-term contracts. Defensive end Maxx Crosby, quarterback Geno Smith and punter AJ Cole have received contract extensions during the offseason. — Ryan McFadden
The first day of mandatory minicamp ended with Hunter Renfrow catching a deep pass over the shoulder from backup quarterback Andy Dalton. It’s another sign the former Raiders receiver is coming back strong from missing last season with ulcerative colitis, an autoimmune disease that almost ended his career. It’s also a sign of just how deep the Panthers are at receiver with Renfrow way down the list behind Adam Thielen, Xavier Legette, Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker. “Every day you see him shine in different ways,” coach Dave Canales said of Renfrow.
“To see him attack a zone, attack leverage off of different releases, it’s so cool because you can coach off that stuff. He makes plays every day.” — David Newton
The Packers might have a Travis Hunter of their own, and his name is Bo Melton.
The backup receiver, who has played in 22 games the last two seasons in Green Bay, not only played his regular position, but he also flipped over to the other side of the ball and played some cornerback during Tuesday’s minicamp practice. It was partially out of necessity after cutting Jaire Alexander and being down a couple of injured corners (Kalen King and Micah Robinson), but coach Matt LaFleur seemed to genuinely believe Melton could play both ways.
Sure enough, within the same team period, Melton caught a pass from Jordan Love and also tried to break up one intended for tight end Tucker Kraft.
“That was definitely confusing,” Love said.
Melton’s brother, Max, is a second-year cornerback with the Cardinals, and Matt LaFleur joked that this was Bo’s chance to show he’s the better defender.
“I know obviously there’s a lot of attention with Hunter down there in Jacksonville with what he’s doing [playing both ways],” LaFleur said. “So we just kind of presented it to him and he said he was up for the challenge.” — Rob Demovsky
Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill caught passes in position drills — the first time we’ve seen him do so since he had surgery on his wrist earlier this offseason. Coach Mike McDaniel told reporters at the combine that the goal was for Hill to be ready by the summer, and he appears to be on pace for that. Hill didn’t participate in team drills but this was still a positive step forward for the receiver after a down year in 2024. — Marcel Louis-Jacques
Cornerback Marshon Lattimore attended an offseason workout for the first time during the mandatory minicamp. He and tackle Laremy Tunsil both participated after skipping the voluntary OTA sessions — though Tunsil had at least worked out here earlier in the offseason. Lattimore looked as you would expect: he got in trouble a couple times by aggressively biting on a fake — once vs. receiver Luke McCaffrey — and other times he broke hard on a receiver to take away an option. But the key for Lattimore — way beyond how he looks in June — is if he performs at a higher level in the season. And if he stays healthy. Lattimore has only played in 26 games the past three years combined. — John Keim
The Saints got some key veterans back who weren’t at the team’s previous spring OTAs. Tyrann Mathieu and Alvin Kamara both returned after skipping the voluntary portion of the offseason, along with safety J.T. Gray and defensive tackle Nathan Shepherd. This is Mathieu’s first practice time since signing a renegotiated contract that lowered his salary.
“I probably could’ve went somewhere else, but I think for me, it’s all about my community, and my family, and just trying to pour into that as much as I can,” he said. “Outside of football, the big reason I’m here is community.”
Taysom Hill was also in attendance for the first time and watched off to the side with tight end Foster Moreau, both of whom are dealing with serious knee injuries. Kellen Moore declined to answer if Hill could participate in training camp in July, saying “that timeline is still pretty far away and we’ll worry about that when it gets there, but he’s been impressive through this whole process.” — Katherine Terrell
The Vikings got a welcome sight Tuesday on the first day of mandatory minicamp. Left tackle Christian Darrisaw participated in position drills for the first time since tearing the ACL and MCL in his left knee in October 2024.
Darrisaw is not yet cleared to participate in team drills, and that isn’t likely to happen anytime soon. Initial timetables suggested that he would not be ready for a full practice at the start of training camp and would be pressed to be ready for Week 1 of the regular season. The Vikings signed a new swing tackle during free agency, Justin Skule, and he has been working in Darrisaw’s spot during 11-on-11 drills this spring.
It’s not yet clear if Darrisaw’s recovery time has sped up. Every knee injury is different, but for reference, tight end T.J. Hockenson returned 315 days after suffering a similar injury to his right knee. — Kevin Seifert
Leaguewide, several players seeking new contracts are skipping mandatory minicamp. There’s none of that with the Jets. They have a handful of players who would like new contracts — most notably, cornerback Sauce Gardner and wide receiver Garrett Wilson — but their Day 1 attendance was 100%, according to coach Aaron Glenn. The presence of Gardner and Wilson reflects the positive vibes that have emanated from Glenn’s first offseason. He’s trying to change the culture, and it certainly helps to have buy-in from two of the best players on the team.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about with other guys holding out (around the league), but our guys come to compete — and that’s who they are,” Glenn said. “Listen, I don’t take that lightly, either. I’m appreciative, but I know how they’re built, too. Those guys come to work.”
Wilson, in particular, had a good day on the field. Reunited with former Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, Wilson made three sideline catches in the first 11-on-11 period, including a nifty toe-tap along the boundary on an off-platform throw by Fields. — Rich Cimini
Tight end Kyle Pitts was in the building Tuesday, but not outside practicing due to an injury, according to head coach Raheem Morris. Pitts has been banged up this spring and missed OTAs practices, as well. The mercurial former No. 4 overall pick, who has dealt with injuries and inconsistency, is going into a contract year and Morris said he feels good about Pitts and quarterback Michael Penix Jr. jelling in 2024.
“[Pitts] has very high standards for himself and I feel really good about those two working together and absolutely getting a better result,” Morris said.
Pitts had a historic rookie season in 2021, but has not found that level since. Falcons Pro Bowl right guard Chris Lindstrom said it’s a collective goal for Atlanta to have the best offense in the NFL this season. If that comes to fruition, Pitts will have to be a big part of it. — Marc Raimondi
Rookie quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders continue to show improved comfort in the Browns’ offense as Cleveland’s four-way QB competition progresses into mandatory minicamp.
Sanders’ first pass of team drills went for a deep touchdown, while Gabriel threw one of his best passes of the spring, lofting a high-arching pass into the end zone for a score during red zone drills.
“These guys are all well coached when we get them, but there’s things in the NFL game, just the rules are different in some areas. So I think all these guys are making really good progress,” coach Kevin Stefanski said after practice. — Daniel Oyefusi
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence was dealing with what head coach Liam Coen called “general soreness” in his right arm, but Coen said there is no concern about an injury.
Lawrence — who had offseason surgery to repair a sprained AC joint in his left (non-throwing) shoulder — was still a full participant in the first day of the Jaguars’ three-day minicamp. He wore a sleeve on his throwing arm, which he also did last week.
“We threw a lot of balls last week and really leading up into he feels good [and] he said it wasn’t really an issue,” Coen said. “It was more sometimes when you just have something to keep it warm, just helps any type of thrower. So I think that was more just maintenance than it is anything that’s really bothering him.” — Mike DiRocco
The Bucs’ red zone defense won the day. Linebacker Haason Reddick notched what would have been a sack on quarterback Baker Mayfield working against Luke Goedeke. Veteran linebacker Anthony Nelson also notched a would-be sack, as did rookie Elijah Roberts. Plus, safety Tykee Smith was able to strip the ball from Jalen McMillan in the end zone to prevent a touchdown. — Jenna Laine
