The 2021 regular season is just around the corner, andNFL Network has you covered with wall-to-wall training camp coverage each day starting at 1 p.m. ET. Follow along here for some of the best sights, sounds and moments from "Inside Training Camp Live" and around the NFL.
- 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan took it upon himself to declare San Francisco's quarterback depth chart on the first day of camp, with veteran Jimmy Garoppolo being the starter and rookie Trey Lance as his backup. "There's no open competition right now," Shanahan proclaimed. "Jimmy is coming in as the one and Trey is coming in as the two." Lance has always been the heir apparent once the 49ers traded up to select him No. 3 overall in April's draft, but the veteran will take all first-team reps in training camp, according to Shanahan. There's still business to be had anyway for Lance, who has yet to sign his rookie contract. "We've never had a holdout but it always seems to go down to the wire," 49ers general manager John Lynch told reporters. Lance is one of two first-rounders that remain unsigned along with the Jets' No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson.
- Bears head coach Matt Nagy spoke glowingly about the early progress of rookie quarterback Justin Fields at Bears training camp. "I was really impressed with how Justin came back from OTA's, getting in and out of the huddle, you can tell he did his homework." Nagy said about the No. 11 overall pick. Nagy said Fields is currently slated as the No. 2 QB on the depth chart in order to get him a "healthy amount" of preseason reps, but noted that newly signed QB Andy Dalton -- the presumed starter for 2021 -- will also get plenty of action in the preseason considering it's his first season in the offense. Asked by reporters how he felt about the looming presence behind his role, Dalton said, "Comes with that position. He's a first-round pick. I understand that. But I also understand that I'm the starter." According to NFL Network's Stacey Dales, Dalton added that he has a great relationship with Fields and wants to help the rookie. The early reviews of Fields dominated the conversation during Nagy's opening presser, and while he didn't confirm or deny Fields' chances of becoming a Week 1 starter, the fourth-year coach openly stated how important the rookie's progress will be for Chicago: "Just like everybody else in this city, I want Justin Fields to be electric."
Nagy, who will retake offensive play-calling duties this season, also said the idea of lead running back David Montgomery getting 20 carries a game this season is "very doable." Montgomery is coming off his first 1,000-yard season in 2020, averaging 4.3 yards per carry and 71.3 yards per game on and average of 16.5 rushing attempts per game.
- The Steelers have high expectations for rookie running back Najee Harris and GM Kevin Colbert believes he has the potential to be a three-down back as early as this year. "You would hope so," Colbert told NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport about that scenario. "Him coming in as a senior out of college, he has more experience than some of the other underclassmen, so I think that will help him transition. He's coming out a traditional NFL-type offense that should help him transition." Harris enters a RB room that saw it's lead back James Conner leave via free agency, and Benny Snell is expected to compete with Harris for the starting role. If not his rookie season, Colbert is confident that Harris will be the Steelers featured back for years to come. "When we drafted him, we thought he'd be a three-down back because he was a three-down back at a high level at Alabama," Colbert said. "We'd be disappointed if he wasn't."
- Already in midseason form, New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick declined to delve into specifics surrounding the off-field storylines involving cornerback Stephon Gilmore and wide receiver N'Keal Harry. "Not gonna talk about contracts and personal situations," Belichick told reporters, via NFL Network's Mike Giardi. Gilmore made his desire for a new contract abundantly clear once holding out of mandatory minicamp earlier this month while Harry formally requested a trade from the team. Gilmore, the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year, did report to camp last week before being placed on the PUP list with the same quad injury that ended his 2020 season. Harry, a first-round pick in 2019, has always planned to report despite his trade request, but maintains his desire for a fresh start in 2021.
- The road to success won't be easy for first-year Texans head coach David Culley. Reporting from Houston, NFL Network's Steve Wyche says the tasks at hand begin with acclimating more than a dozen new players and returning veterans to ensure they are all on the same page. According to Wyche, a lot of the players have not been consistently training in Houston through the offseason and when training camp kicks off there will need to a be big unifying effort from Culley and his staff. A first time head coach, Culley, 65, knew what he signed up for wouldn't be easy and is more than willing to take the challenge, telling Wyche, "If everything was right, I wouldn't be here trying to fix it."
- With the official arrival of Aaron Rodgers at training camp receiving all the buzz this morning, a former coach of the reigning MVP was happy to see the Packers QB return after all the offseason drama. "I think it's great for him, I think it's great for the club," said current Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy. "I'm very hopeful Aaron gets to finish his time up there, he's done so many great things in his time up there."
Perhaps Rodgers' welcomed presence is already influencing the Packers into making moves. According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Packers are in discussions with the Houston Texans to trade for veteran wide receiver Randall Cobb, who spent his first eight seasons in Green Bay with Rodgers as his QB. With that news being discussed on Inside Training Camp Live, NFL Network's James Jones -- another favorite receiver of Rodgers in Green Bay -- was asked if he would be next to return. Said the 37-year-old player-turned-analyst: "Nah, JJ's done."
- Seattle Seahawks safety Jamal Adams is in line for a lucrative extension and though he doesn't have his new deal signed and sealed as of yet, he reported to camp on Tuesday among myriad other big-name teammates. While Adams' arrival was perhaps the Seahawks' most notable, linebacker Bobby Wagner likely had on the loudest pair of shorts.
- July 27 marks the highly anticipated date where 29 total teams begin training camp in unison, which is a first for the NFL. With the Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicking off last week, all 32 teams are now in training camp mode. Here's how team social media accounts are celebrating the occasion:
