The 2026 NFL Preseason is proceeding in typical fashion.
Teams are honing their offensive and defensive prowess, determining starting positions and depth, and apparently beating the hell out of each other. As most veterans will testify, fights in camp are not uncommon, as the heat, intensity and eventual contact all serve to produce nasty, combative moods, even among folks working towards a communal goal. Still, the frequency of reported off-schedule violence in practices seems a little excessive this year.
Ravens DE Calais Campbell spoke with the media yesterday, his first public comments since the death of his mother this past June under horrific familial circumstances. Campbell, long regarded as one of the NFL’s “good guys”, will play with a heavy burden in 2026.
An obvious Bengals concern is the continued health of QB Joe Burrow, which is not lost on LT Orlando Brown Jr. after a crucial missed block last week. Brown is typically reliable, but given Burrow’s extensive injury history and absences, extra attention in pass blocking might be in order.
In Cleveland, head coach Todd Monken appears to be upset with his team’s lack of discipline. Each of the incidents cited appears to have stemmed from fostering too much intensity, which is something new LB Jared Verse seems to be trying to instill.
Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy is pleased with the performance of his backup QBs, possibly giving rise to the notion that one may emerge as the successor to current starting QB Aaron Rodgers. Given the struggles the Steelers have had at the position since Ben Roethlisberger retired, they’d better hope so.
Carry on.
