Training Camp Notes: Aug. 26

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Published on August 26, 2023

The majority of teams are now done with both preseason contests and training camp, as only the Texans and Saints remain on the calendar for Sunday. With so many teams in action, there was a lot of news trickling in, so there's plenty to catch up on.

Injuries/Transactions

The news of the day has to be the return of Josh Jacobs, who had sat out training camp while in a contract dispute with the Raiders. With some extra compensation negotiated, Jacobs will now return and is set to clearly lead the backfield. Zamir White got some positive reviews in the absence of Jacobs, but he'll shift back down the depth chart. Nevertheless, he's a name to keep in mind in case of injury.
Kyler Murray still has no timeline to return. We heard some buzz that Murray was targeting a Week 1 return while rehabbing his torn ACL, but that pretty clearly won't be the case. Obviously, this news hurts the fantasy value of Murray, but it will also affect the Cardinals' pass catchers as its unclear who will be under center come Week 1.
The Chiefs' pass-catching corps has been intriguing to track during training camp, in part due to the absence of Kadarius Toney (knee). Coach Andy Reid termed Toney's return to practice as "imminent," with the goal being that he returns to the field within a week. If he can return for a Week 1 matchup against the Lions, Rashee Rice looks like the most likely receiver to be hurt in terms of playing time and targets.
There's been a lot of positive chatter about the rapport between Jordan Love and Romeo Doubs, but that relationship hit a bit of a speed bump Saturday with news that Doubs is suffering from a hamstring issue. The severity is currently unclear, but it did keep him out of the Packers' preseason finale against Seattle. This will be a story to continue to follow.
The Titans have suffered a number of injuries to their pass-catching corps this preseason, which isn't something they are well-equipped to endure. In positive news, Chigoziem Okonkwo (leg) is set to return to practice at some point during the upcoming week. Okonkwo was forced to miss Friday's preseason game, but regular season action doesn't appear to be in jeopardy.
Mecole Hardman suffered a reported finger injury during Saturday's preseason game. The issue was downplayed by both team and player, so Hardman should also be ready for Week 1 against Buffalo.
The Bengals backfield has been murky behind Joe Mixon, and this weekend didn't help. Trayveon Williams (ankle) has been out since Aug. 1 and Chris Evans seems to be dealing with an undisclosed issue after missing practice of late and not dressing for Saturday's preseason matchup. If Evans is in fact out, Chase Brown is the top back other than Mixon currently available. This may not turn out to matter, as Mixon has a fairly clean history of health in recent years.
We covered Jake Moody's (quadriceps) injury Friday, but his status was clarified to be week-to-week rather than day-to-day. Meanwhile, Zane Gonzalez suffered a calf injury during pregame warmups and has already been ruled out for a few weeks. For now, the 49ers don't have a healthy kicker on the roster.
D'Onta Foreman left Saturday's preseason finale against Buffalo with a potential chest or rib injury. Khalil Herbert appears to have a pretty firm handle on the starting running back job in Chicago, but Foreman's injury could mean we see more of rookie Roschon Johnson.

Job Battles

One of the more notable backfield battles that doesn't directly involve injury is in Kansas City. On Saturday, each of Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Isiah Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon saw the field on the opening drive. Edwards-Helaire took the first carry of the game, though that may be because Pacheco has missed most of training camp while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. That duo could split early down work, while McKinnon will likely operate primarily as a pass catcher early on in the campaign.
It's not the most exciting to highlight a kicker battle, but there's a true competition in New England – rather than one created by injury – between rookie Chad Ryland and veteran Nick Folk. Neither has done much to lose the job, and a recent report from the Boston Globe suggests the team could opt to keep both on the roster in what would certainly be an unconventional move.