With NFL Training camps underway, the anticipation for the upcoming season is growing. After multiple offseason moves, star players ended up with new teams and multiple new faces join the league from college and look forward to getting accommodated in a new environment.
Raiders
Injuries before and during training camp are not uncommon to teams across the league. Thankfully, Las Vegas Raiders new quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo remains optimistic about his season-ending foot injury he suffered in the 2022 season.
Garoppolo had been with the San Francisco 49ers since 2017, and he started 55 games for the team. Before San Francisco, he spent three seasons with the New England Patriots before being traded to the 49ers. With New England, Garoppolo worked with current head coach Josh McDaniels when he was the offensive coordinator with the Patriots.
“We’ll do what we always do with players that are coming off of any rehabilitation — we’ll do it the right way,” McDaniels said.
https://twitter.com/Raiders/status/1684337298861686785?s=20
Bills
What a year it has been for 25-year-old Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin. Back in January, Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest on the field during a game in Cincinnati. Fans, viewers and teammates held their breath as millions waited for news of his condition.
Now just over seven months, head coach Sean McDermott announced Wednesday that Damar Hamlin has been fully cleared for practice.
Coach McDermott: Damar Hamlin will be a full go at training camp and we’re behind him 100%. We’ll go at his cadence. 🫶#BillsCamp | #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/UhWCHENHrd
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) July 26, 2023
“With Damar’s situation, like I mentioned in the spring, he has our full support, and always will, and then we’ll continue to take it one day at a time, and we’ll go at his cadence,” McDermott said in his press conference.
Sharing his good news, Hamlin left a note for his teammates, thanking them for their support and his excitement to share the field with them again. Hamlin has had a busy summer between being honored at the ESPYS alongside the Bills training staff. Additionally, Hamlin has been preparing for the day he is cleared for his full-contact return.
Panthers
Former Alabama star quarterback and 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young has quickly made his impact with the Carolina Panthers. Expectations for Young have clearly been high and he has continued to prove his readiness for the league. As a result, head coach Frank Reich announced Young as the starting quarterback Wednesday.
“I think Bryce has made good progress,” Reich said in his Wednesday press conference. “You can just tell he and the whole group on offense is feeling more comfortable with it. Certainly, Bryce is as well. So, we feel good about where he’s at.”
Oh hey, @athielen19 👋 pic.twitter.com/6FhukMUMPo
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) July 26, 2023
As many anticipated the starting job to be assigned to Young, the rookie quarterback remains focused on his new responsibilities.
“That means a lot,” Young said in his press conference. “That’s a huge blessing. For me, it’s a day-by-day approach. We’ll watch the good and the bad from today. We’ll go back and we’ll learn from it and then we’ll get another opportunity to come out and try to perfect it tomorrow.”
The NFL season will begin with the Hall of Fame Game between the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets on Aug. 3.