Training camp isn’t just an opportunity for rookies and fringe roster players to make their case for roster spots. It’s also about veterans stepping into new roles or new surroundings with a chance to impress, setting off a hype cycle that feeds itself throughout August and into Week 1.
Monday’s practices were filled with moments like these. In Wisconsin, the next man up in a string of Hall of Fame quarterbacks looked capable of rising to the moment. In Jacksonville, a tarnished star looked like his old self for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. And in Buffalo, a very large man rumbled for a touchdown because football is artwork sometimes.
This all comes with a grain of salt, obviously. Showing out in training camp doesn’t mean any of these skills will translate when sparring becomes an actual fight come September. Still, there’s a chance Monday’s big performances were a preview of star power yet to come. So who stood out the most?