RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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SportsMoney NFL 2026 AFC Training Camp And Preseason: What To Look For By Gladys Louise Tyler ,
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. NFL Fantasy Football Follow Author Aug 05, 2026, 09:23am EDT --:-- / --:-- This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more . This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more . Summary NFL 2026 training camps and the preseason is here. The AFC has its issues the Bills and Dolphins are adapting to new coaches, with receiver battles for Buffalo's Keon Coleman and Miami's crowded room. Patriots monitor Drake Maye's chemistry with A.J. Brown, while Jets seek defensive improvements. Quarterback health is paramount in the West for Broncos and Chiefs; Raiders develop Mendoza, and Chargers adapt to Mike McDaniel's offense. The North features widespread coaching changes: Ravens focus on protecting Lamar Jackson, Bengals revamp their defense, Browns host a fierce QB competition, and Steelers prepare for Aaron Rodgers' final season. In the South, C.J. Stroud's consistency is key for Texans, Colts navigate Daniel Jones' return and QB questions, Jaguars sort their running backs, and Titans integrate new offensive weapons. The weeks ahead offer vital glimpses into team dynamics and emerging talent.
It’s here…it’s here…NFL football 2026 finally is here. After the frenetic free agency period and the chaotic and somewhat surprising NFL Draft, we know it’s here because the players are finally on the field.
Sure the training camp brings out the interviews where the players talk nice. But there are also the drills, the fights, and the nuances we attempt to gleam from the practices. The pre-season will display the second and thirds with a brief glimpse of the first teamers, but we can see schemes and get a glimpse of how new coaches and coordinators are going about their tasks.
It’s the second week of training camp and the start of preseason. Position battles and player watches are starting to heat up. So, let’s get on with it and start with the ever so fascinating AFC division.
Bills enter with a new coach, Joe Brady, who was the former offensive coordinator. While the main priority is finding a left guard that will keep quarterback Josh Allen upright, the most interesting player to watch is Keon Coleman .
Will Coleman turn into a fantasy asset and a reliable weapon for Allen? Per Ourlads.com depth chart, Coleman is currently listed behind new acquisition D.J. Moore for the left side. Watch for the snaps of Moore v Coleman.
Played in 13 games with 16.2% target share (59 targets), 66.3% snap share and a 71.9% route participation. Coleman was a first read target 24.4% of the time and he finished the season with a 6.8% drop rate.
The Dolphins will also enter the season with a new head coach, Jeff Hafley, new offensive coordinator, Bobby Slowik and a new quarterback Malik Willis throwing to what is arguably the most confusing wide receiver room in the league.
Gone are Tyreek Hill, who only played in four games last season but accounted for a 24.8% target share and Jaylen Waddle whose 100 targets were on the receiving end of a 23.3% target share.
What we have now is a preseason watch for:
None of whom have differentiated themselves so far. The watch continues.
Let’s face it this training camp and preseason is all about Drake Maye and A.J. Brown. Will they or won’t they make a meaningful connection? So far, it started slow but appears to be ramping up.
Maye just barely lost the MVP race to Matthew Stafford last season. Brown is playing with a quarterback who finished his season with a 72% completion percentage, passed for 31 touchdowns, averaged 8.9 yards per attempt and was seventh in time to throw at 2.82 seconds. On paper it looks promising. Training camp watch is obsessively documenting the trajectory.
This is one of the few times that the defense will be highlighted here. Last season the Jets managed to finish the season without a single interception.
The most interesting training camp battle might just be between Nashon Wright and Azareye’h Thomas. Wright does have the flex of collecting five interceptions last season. Which was five more than the entire Jets team…so there’s that.
This might be the only division that remained relatively unscathed on the coaching front. Yes, the Las Vegas Raiders got their man, and the Los Angeles Chargers pulled in Mike McDaniel, both potential upgrades, but this division is all about the health of their quarterbacks.
Quarterback Bo Nix has a new weapon in Waddle but just how healthy is Nix. Nix suffered a broken right ankle in January. After his first surgery he then had a “clean up” procedure done in April. Nix has continually stated he is “ good to go ”.
The watch is centered around Nix’s mobility and his connection with Waddle.
And yet another quarterback who suffered an injury. Patrick Mahomes suffered an ACL and LCL injury in December. Mahomes has been cleared for training camp.
The Chiefs training watch is centered around the connection between Mahomes and Travis Kelce, because realistically Kelce with returning coordinator Eric Bieniemy may be Mahomes best receiving option.
Raiders got their coach, Klint Kubiak, got their quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, got their center and now we begin to see if they get their team winning. Kirk Cousins is named starting quarterback. Does this mean we will get to see Mendoza during preseason? Mendoza started training camp taking reps with the thirds and has now taken some reps with the second team.
Training camp and preseason is about the maturation of Mendoza. Secondly, will Cousins throw to anyone other than Brock Bowers, Michael Mayer and Ashton Jeanty, asking for my fantasy football team.
This is all about new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel and the offense he will install in LA. As laid out in the StormCloud , “ McDaniel’s genius has always been separating how fast the offense plays and how fast players have to think.”
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