Highlights
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens defeated the Bears in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game to open the 2018 preseason. Watch all the highlights from the first game here.
Megan Uhrynowski never wants to lose her Tom Brady autograph. The 19-year-old got a tattoo of the signature the QB put on her arm at training camp this week. Plus: The Saints bring their own relief from the heat, and Peyton visits Raiders training camp.
Here's what you need to know from camps across the league.
Photos of the Saints' new cooling container - 25 degrees inside to offer players a quick refresher during practice. pic.twitter.com/qiylyfYgmJ — Mike Triplett (@MikeTriplett) August 2, 2018
ESPN.com The NFL preseason starts tonight with Ravens-Bears. According to ESPN Stats & Info, Baltimore (-2.5) enters tonight having covered in nine straight preseason games. Since John Harbaugh became its head coach in 2008, Baltimore is 27-13 ATS in preseason games.
play 0:21 Gender reveal at Redskins camp Redskins long snapper Nick Sundberg assists Eric Fauth and his wife Sarah with their gender reveal.
Everyone meet Antonio Callawag! 🐶
This retriever mix has the fastest paws you'll ever see. Although this good boy is small, he'll catch anything you throw his way.
Find him and more puppies up for adoption at our #BrownsCamp Puppy Pound! pic.twitter.com/CkqmUBMkYn — Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 2, 2018
@David_Njoku80 thanks so much for taking the time to sign my sons jersey (and my daughters hat) today at camp. Also, I was next to the young guy who you took your gloves off for. You made his day. That's what it's all about. #fans4life #gobrowns pic.twitter.com/kW4QVn6Il7 — Tiffany Hesselbart (@thesselbart) August 2, 2018
Rookie life. #TexansCamp A post shared by Houston Texans (@houstontexans) on Aug 2, 2018 at 9:03am PDT
ESPN Staff Writer Bills safety Micah Hyde on officials' presentation Wednesday about new helmet rule: "Who knows, man. It's up and down. It's not clear cut. There was times they showed the play when the whole room was like, ‘Oh, no way, this is getting crazy.'"
Derwin James has been activated from the Non-Football Injury list and will practice today. #ChargersCamp pic.twitter.com/mBsBCubKiq — Los Angeles Chargers (@Chargers) August 2, 2018
ESPN Staff Writer How good has Colts QB Andrew Luck looked so far in his return from missing last season with a shoulder injury? Offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni forgets at times that Luck is still working his way back from the injury. "He’s been fun to be around," Sirianni said. "You can see why he was the player he was at Stanford, the No. 1 pick coming out, the player he’s been in the NFL because it doesn’t look like this everywhere. I know that. There’s not a lot of teams that can come out in practice and be like, ‘Man, we’re just better because he’s on the field.’"
Appreciate Peyton for all the knowledge he shared today! #TrainingCamp 💀💀💀💀 pic.twitter.com/CHfBjnIpNY — Derek Carr (@derekcarrqb) August 2, 2018
ESPN Staff Writer Raiders camp Day 7 Quote of the Day comes from camp visitor Charles Woodson, on Khalil Mack’s holdout: “You guys watched Khalil the last (four) years. You watched him on the field. You watched him grow as a player. You watched him win defensive player of the year. He’s a young guy that’s trying to get paid, and I don’t fault any man for that. Now, every team’s going to have their limits of what they feel they can do and what they won’t do. You have to navigate that. He’s a smart enough guy, he’ll figure it out. Where does he take it from here? I’m sure his agents have talked to the team and the team has responded and they probably put their offers in and counteroffers and the whole nine. We are where we are right now. But for him, he’s got to figure it out.” Woodson held out twice as a Raiders player, in 2004 and 2005.
A tradition unlike any other. Eagles rookies (in this case WR Tim Wilson) pay their dues by carrying water ice into the locker room for the vets. pic.twitter.com/SsGGI3cUvO — Tim McManus (@Tim_McManus) August 2, 2018
Jacksonville Jaguars
Electronic Arts said Thursday that the company did not purposely omit Colin Kaepernick's name from a song it licensed for its latest game.
The video game maker came under fire when it was discovered by a Twitter user that Kaepernick's name was censored from YG's song "Big Bank," which is used in the soundtrack for "Madden NFL 19."
"We made an unfortunate mistake with our Madden NFL soundtrack," EA said in a statement issued Thursday evening. "Members of our team misunderstood the fact that while we don't have rights to include Colin Kaepernick in the game, this doesn't affect soundtracks. We messed up, and the edit should never have happened. We will make it right, with an update to Madden NFL 19 on August 6 that will include the reference again. We meant no disrespect, and we apologize to Colin, to YG and Big Sean, to the NFL, to all of their fans and our players for this mistake."
Big Sean, who makes a guest appearance in the song and performs the verse that references Kaepernick, weighed in on Thursday before EA issued its statement. Kaepernick later thanked Big Sean in a tweet.
Much love brother! Thank you for having my back!✊🏾 https://t.co/yKz3nBMiPb — Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) August 2, 2018
In the song, Kaepernick's name is referenced about halfway through Big Sean's verse when he says, "Feed me to the wolves, now I lead the pack and s---. You boys all cap, I'm more Colin Kaepernick."
Kaepernick drew attention to social inequality issues during the 2016 season by kneeling during the national anthem as a means of protest. He pursued free agency in 2017 but wasn't given a tryout. He filed a collusion suit against the league's 32 owners last October; the case is ongoing.
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Like there was any chance Shaquem Griffin wouldn't be on this list.
Griffin was an accomplished outside linebacker for an undefeated UCF team in 2017. He was also the star of the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine, putting on a show that included a 4.38-second 40-yard dash—the fastest by a linebacker since 2003.
Given that, some might be surprised Griffin is a "project" player. Like all young linebackers, Griffin has a lot to learn as he makes the jump to the NFL. After all, getting caught out of position in college isn't a big deal for someone as quick as Griffin. But even with his wheels, if he misses his spot in the NFL, it's over. The offensive player is past him. Per Zierlein, broken tackles were an issue last year as well.
Griffin is not only the most intriguing player in Seahawks camp because of his talent, but he's also trying do something that's never been done: play linebacker at the game's highest level with one hand after losing his right one at age four because of amniotic band syndrome.
Griffin was the AAC Defensive Player of the Year as a redshirt junior in 2016. In his final collegiate game, he was named the Peach Bowl's defensive MVP in UCF's upset of Auburn.
Now the fifth-round pick is attempting to make an impact at football's highest level. Show that he belongs on the field with the likes of KJ Wright and Bobby Wagner. Perhaps even make one of those veterans expendable for a Seahawks team that is transitioning on defense.
Per the Associated Press (via USA Today), all Griffin wants is a chance.
"It's not a disability until you make it one," he said.
There's still a ways to go, but so far, Griffin's making the most of that chance in camp.
Apparently, the young man has a knack for creating turnovers...with regularity.
