NFL training camp 2022 live updates: Deshaun Watson latest, injury news, fantasy nuggets

There was nothing especially scintillating about the Bengals offense Friday, save for maybe Brandon Allen’s best throw so far in camp when he hit Ja’Marr Chase in stride on a deep corner route. But after Thursday’s awful performance, simply being average was a step forward.

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Josh Allen was the only Bills player to come out wearing a red throwback helmet to fire the crowd up before switching to a white one.

Matthew Stafford didn’t throw during Wednesday’s training camp practice, but head coach Sean McVay remains adamant that it’s all a part of “the plan” for the Rams’ 34-year-old quarterback.

Monday, McVay said Stafford was “still feeling a little bit of pain” in his arm/elbow, and that was the reasoning behind the visibly lighter workload Stafford had that day — which he clarified Wednesday was not a “setback” for Stafford.

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Falcons second-year left guard Jalen Mayfield missed Friday’s practice because of a lower back issue, head coach Arthur Smith said.

“We’ll see how it goes,” Smith said. “He’s a really tough guy. I don’t foresee it being major, but as you know dealing with backs, and heads and hearts, those things are tricky.”

Mayfield’s back injury could explain why he has struggled so mightily in training camp this year. A third-round pick out of Michigan in 2021, he started 16 games last season and struggled, grading out at 49.2, including 27.6 on pass blocking, according to PFF. He opened camp this year with the first team but was replaced by free-agent signee Elijah Wilkinson on the second day of practice and has not returned to the first group.

It may have not gone down exactly like this, but it sure wasn’t far from it: Omar Khan slaps down a contract offer on a table to Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson and says, “This is what we will pay you.”

Even though Khan spent years doing the same thing for the Steelers, this is the first year he has the general manager title attached to his name. Khan, who replaced Kevin Colbert in late May as the team’s GM, quickly signed Minkah Fitzpatrick to a record deal and inked Chris Boswell on Monday to yet another record deal.

A sign of a new regime? Not really.

Johnson had been holding himself out of practice for the better part of the week with the same offer on the table as it was prior. Khan had a market price in mind, and it was going to have to be Johnson’s decision to take it or not.

No change here at Browns practice. Deshaun Watson still first up at quarterback. Jacoby Brissett getting reps with first and second groups.

It’s just the first step of many in his recovery, but Friday morning saw Buccaneers receiver Chris Godwin back at practice for the first time since he tore the ACL in his right knee in December.

“Good to see him out there running around, getting some individual work in,” head coach Todd Bowles said after practice. “It’s always a plus to see him in uniform.”

Godwin had surgery on Jan. 3, so he’s just over seven months into his recovery, an impressive turnaround for his injury. He had been a spectator at practice during the first week of workouts, but Friday had him dressed in his white No. 14 jersey, stretching and warming up with the team before practice and wearing a protective brace on his right knee. He went through positional drills with the other receivers, making an over-the-shoulder catch, but was held out of all full-squad work against defenders, a reminder that a full recovery is still a while off.

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Second-year left guard Jalen Mayfield missed Friday’s practice due to a lower back issue, head coach Arthur Smith said.

“We’ll see how it goes as everybody knows backs are tricky,” Smith said. “He’s a really tough guy. I don’t foresee it being major, but as you know dealing with backs, and heads and hearts, those things are tricky.”

Mayfield started 16 games as a rookie last season and was Atlanta’s lowest-rated blocker by PFF. He lost his spot in the first-team lineup to free agent signee Elijah Wilkinson in the first week of training camp this year.

“We have to get it to calm down. We will see where that goes,” Smith said

This was not the original plan. The Cowboys were hoping to use training camp as a way for newcomers like James Washington to develop their rapport with quarterback Dak Prescott.

But an hour into Dallas’ first practice in full pads, plans changed.

On Monday, Washington came down awkwardly after attempting to catch a deep ball from Prescott, with All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs defending. Washington, who the Cowboys signed to a one-year, $1.1 million deal in March, fractured his right foot and is now out six to 10 weeks. With Michael Gallup (knee) not expected to be ready for Week 1, the Cowboys need two starting wide receivers to emerge to play alongside No. 1 WR CeeDee Lamb.

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