Patrick Mahomes’ health, Aaron Donald’s return among the top NFL training camp storylines
· Yahoo Sports
NEW YORK — The summer of World Cup fútbol is now complete, which means football can regain its usual place at the forefront of American consciousness.
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NFL training camps are beginning to get underway, and there’s no shortage of storylines across the league.
Here are some of the biggest ones:
Mahomes health
After a nightmarish 6-11 season — the lowlight being Patrick Mahomes’ Week 15 knee injury — the Kansas City Chiefs have every intention of returning to contention in 2026.
They brought back Travis Kelce, signed Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker III, and traded up to draft plug-and-play cornerback Mansoor Delane at No. 6 overall.
But none of that will matter if Mahomes doesn’t return to his top-flight form after tearing the ACL and LCL in his left knee.
Mahomes is working hard to be ready for the Chiefs’ Sept. 14 season opener, having already gotten some reps at quarterback during OTAs in May.
This month’s training camp will show just how far along the three-time Super Bowl champion is in his recovery, seven and a half months after surgery.
“I can’t predict the future and I know that it’s a long process,” Mahomes recently told Yahoo Sports. “It’s not just my decision, but at the same time I’m going to give the doctors and the coaches every single opportunity I can to let me be out there Week 1.”
Donald comeback
Aaron Donald, 35, has been training with purpose, but it remains to be seen whether the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year will actually rejoin the Los Angeles Rams.
Donald was still playing at an elite level when he retired after the 2023 season, but he’s now more than two years removed from his last game action.
If Donald determines he wants to play and can still produce, the defensive tackle would further bolster a fearsome Rams front that acquired all-world defensive end Myles Garrett via trade this offseason.
That doesn’t mean Donald necessarily has to be there for the start of Rams training camp, but a decision seems imminent one way or the other.
Murray vs. McCarthy
The sexiest quarterback battle belongs to the Minnesota Vikings, who signed Kyler Murray this spring after 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy struggled as a first-time starter last season.
The dual-threat Murray, a two-time Pro Bowler who turns 29 next month, seems to be the favorite, even after a foot injury limited him to five games with the Arizona Cardinals last season.
That’s because McCarthy, 23, completed just 57.6% of his passes and threw 12 interceptions against 11 touchdowns in 10 games last year.
That held back a Vikings team with an otherwise Super Bowl-ready roster that, a year earlier, went 14-3 with Sam Darnold under center.
“The goal going into this offseason was to elevate the quarterback position, because when we have a certain standard of play … the Minnesota Vikings win football games,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said.
“The best way to achieve that is having a daily attempt to have guys push each other.”
The NFL’s other obvious QB battle is Shedeur Sanders vs. Deshaun Watson in Cleveland, while the Atlanta Falcons signed Tua Tagovailoa this offseason as Michael Penix Jr. recovers from a season-ending ACL tear.
There’s also uncertainty in Arizona, where journeyman starter Jacoby Brissett is unhappy with his contract. The Cardinals drafted 24-year-old quarterback Carson Beck in the third round of this year’s draft.
Other injuries
Mahomes is hardly the only big name working his way back from a serious injury.
Indianapolis quarterback Daniel Jones (Achilles), Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (knee), San Francisco tight end George Kittle (Achilles) and Denver quarterback Bo Nix (ankle) are among the others whose Week 1 statuses remain uncertain. Green Bay pass rusher Micah Parsons (knee) is expected to be out until mid-October.
Teams will be careful with players of that caliber this early in the summer, but as with Mahomes, it will be interesting to gauge what, if anything, those stars are able to do at camp.
Unhappy campers?
Holdouts and hold-ins — when players report to camp but don’t participate in order to avoid fines — are commonplace this time of year as players seek new contracts.
Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield, Atlanta running back Bijan Robinson, Detroit running back Jahmyr Gibbs and New England cornerback Christian Gonzalez are among the star players pursuing new deals, though that’s not to say any of them will sit out of mandatory training camp.
And then there’s Brandon Aiyuk, the disgruntled wide receiver in the middle of a dramatic standoff with the San Francisco 49ers.
Aiyuk has not played since he suffered a serious knee injury in October 2024. Last year, the 49ers voided considerable guaranteed money on Aiyuk’s four-year, $120 million extension for failing to meet certain requirements of his deal.
More than eight months later, Aiyuk remains under contract with the Niners, but he has repeatedly — and very publicly — pushed for a way out, specifying that he wants to join Washington.
This saga is one to watch.